Here I Come To Save the Day!

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice (hubby had it made piping hot for me when I woke up! what a sweetie!)

Hold onto your seats everyone, today is going to have several posts. you had better top off that coffee before we get started.... just sayin'......

Being that it's Tuesday, you can guess that we have a new challenge over at Top Tip Tuesdays. it's a really fun one, and quite the challenge if you are someone like me. We want to see you use items starting with your initials on your projects. :) isn't that a great challenge idea? really makes ya think for a few.....

Since my initials are J and S, it made things a bit on the interesting side..... but then as I was browsing through the Saturated Canary store, one of our sponsors, inspiration struck! what you see in my card is the result. I hope you like it. :)

I've used the image, 'The Force Boy' and papers from the Archaic collection by Basic Grey. sentiment is by  Create with TLC. his light saber is covered in shimmerz paint because it has to have that special glow. stars were punched from corrugated cardboard. sticker is one made with lined school paper and a little label.

so here are my lettered items: Jedi Knight, light saber, stars, squares, shimmerz paint, sponging, jute trim, Spellbinders die, and sticker.

Challenges:
Craftin' Desert Divas - anything goes linky party
Kaboodle Doodles - song or quote (this is actually from the Mighty Mouse theme song. I used to sing it all the time as a kid. I've told you what a geeky little nerd I am! grins!)
Love to Scrap - bingo: die cut, sentiment, buttons
A Gem of a Challenge - punch it out
Creative Corner - anything goes
Jo's Scrap Shack - anything goes
Creatalicious - for the boys
Lady Anne's - anything goes
Allsorts - use your new stash (new image & a new shade of brown SU! ink)
TTCRD - anything goes

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)

Spooled Items Challenge at Top Tip Tuesdays

Well this post is late. late, late, late. and my hands have been slapped. ;)
but it couldn't be helped. I'm just thankful that I was able to do some crafty yesterday to get started making up on my overdue DT assignments. nope, it's not Tuesday, but it is the other T day of the week, so I'm going to just enjoy my coffee and go with it. grins!

the new challenge over at Top Tip Tuesdays this fortnight is Spooled Items. in other words, use ribbons, twine, or anything else that might possibly come on a spool ( or used to come on a spool ). We are sponsored by Bugaboo and QKR Stampede, who so very kindly provided the team with images to use. There are some very creative projects over on the Top Tip Tuesdays Challenge blog, so do hop over to check them out.

I chose this fun 'Patchwork Sun' image by QKR Stampede for my card. I had plans to do one thing with it, but then a friend of ours from Camp ended up in the hospital. immediately I knew it would make the perfect 'thinking of you' card for everyone at Camp to sign. the beautiful scripture comes from Karen Murray over at Word Art by Karen and Papercraft Memories. I have known her for a very long time and she does such gorgeous work.

Digital papers are from a freebie kit at the Sweet Shoppe and are called 'You make me happy.' the little flowers are Prima and buttons are from my stash. words on the scripture piece are highlighted with shimmerz paint. the yellow and rose ribbons were gifted to me by my good friend Suzie Mc Floozy, so I'm sorry I don't know who made them. the pastel pink trim along the bottom is a vintage piece. a fun stamp set from Inky Antics called 'Sew Many Stitches' was used on the aqua piece. I promise you will see LOTS more of this stamp set! :)

the scripture and sun are both popped up on foam tape, but the sun is on a thicker piece. I really like to do this at times when I want to give even more dimension to my card fronts.  you can see the shadows behind the sun. also note how the yellow chevron arrows point to the word 'you'. sometimes it is the little things like this that can make a big difference! :)

Challenges:
Dutch Dare - in stitches
Crafts and Me - anything goes
Crafty Creations - summer
Divas by Design - anything goes
Nutcrafters - summer sunshine fun
Penny's Paper Crafty - bling: rhinestones & shimmerz paint
Scrapper's Delights - inspired by a song: You Are My Sunshine (it's even in the bg paper!)
Sisterhood of Crafters - sun
WAW - anything goes with encouraging senti or verse
Crafty Sentiments - bling it on: rhinestones & shimmerz paint
Really Reasonable Ribbon - sizzling summer colors with ribbon
C is for Challenge - summer
Crazy Challenge - summertime
Squirrel and the Fox - something spooled
Catch the Bug - bingo: sentiment, button, sparkle
Digitally Sweet - sunshine and summertime
Dreamweaver - summertime, sparklers, and s'more ( more of the summer and sparkle.... grins!)
3 Girl JAM - anything goes with ribbon (button is on sidebar about halfway down)

You are Toad-ally Amazing!

Coffee of the Day - Red Velvet Cake

Today begins a new challenge over at Top Tip Tuesdays - hexagons and/or circles. We are sponsored by Fred She Said and Tiddly Inks. Annette has put together a great tutorial for a circle side step card if you would like to give it a go.... I really need to try this one out! stop by the blog to see all of the great projects made by the DT! you will surely be inspired! :)

my post is going to be short, so you'll have to excuse me please. I am so very sick right now....not much crafting getting done, so I'm thankful for what I had done ahead of time.

I used the image from Tiddly Inks, 'Little Hopper', on my card. he is soooo cute! digital papers are from Design House Digital called 'Celebrate Today'. the scalloped circle notecard I picked up from Target a while back. it is edged in white paint. circle/bubble die is CC Designs. some buttons from my stash, linen thread, and wooden clip complete the card. oh yes, our froggy friend's tiny little spots were accented with distress stickle.

Challenges:
Creative Card Crew - great outdoors ( I prefer to keep my frogs outside, personally!)
Loves Rubber Stamps - hoarded item (have had the scalloped note card since before Christmas! eek!)
Cards for Men - bingo: twine, image, & die cuts
Cupcake Craft - anything but square
Tammy's Scrappin' Corner - animals
There She Goes - animals
Ladybug Crafts - fave embelishment (prob my buttons!)
Tok Bobok - animal friends with love
No Matter Which - anything goes
Corrosive - shape up

Best Friends with my Dog

Coffee of the Day - White Chocolate Mousse

Today begins a new challenge over at Top Tip Tuesdays. We want to see you use office supplies on your projects. Our sponsors are Kenny K and Crimson Cloud. it's really fun to add these fun little embellies to your projects, especially for those hard to make guy cards. hope you will play along with us! :)

My card uses the Kenny K image Dog Walk, Echo Park digi papers and elements from the Brothers mini theme kit (it's on sale right now!), and sentiment from Create with TLC. my office supplies are standard twine, staples, mini clips, paper clip (hey, it's shaped like a dog bone. office supplies can be whimsical!), tag cut from clear packaging, and a sticker made with notebook paper. I just added some buttons and a bit of ribbon. a few little accents with my white gel pen as well as the woodgrain on the main image complete the card. sorry the brightness is a bit off. the metal clips made it hard to get a good scan.

I am giving this to my hunny bunny. I painted the dog to look like Latte. they have this hysterical love/hate relationship. Mocha has always been his 'shadow', (and she is doing much better right now! thanks for the well wishes for her btw!), but Latte is my 'princess pup' who really intimidates Dave at times. we laugh about it. but poor Dave also gets the night-time dog duty, so that will make this card extra appropriate for him.

Everyone stay as cool as you can in this summer heat. NOW you know why I like snow so much! tee hee! when you don't have a/c, you'll take any excuse to stay cool you can! enjoy your day!

Challenges:
Kenny K - anything goes
Artistic Inspirations - fur or feathers
Card Mania - kraft paper
Kraft Journal - inks, paints, or markers (I watercolored with inks)
Paper Nest - animal love
Use Your Stuff - office supplies
Glitter & Sparkle - tag it
Little Claire - male theme
One Stop Crafts - for a friend
Die Cut Divas - die cut and boy/male
Stampin' with the Dragon - anything goes
Art Impressions - masculine
Delightful - raise the banner
Here Come the Boys - let's go dotty
Lia Stampz - anything goes

Dad, You Rock!

Coffee of the Day - Moon Pie

Today starts a new challenge over at Top Tip Tuesday. in honor of the upcoming Father's Day holiday, we want to see your masculine projects. Our sponsor this fortnight is Birdie Brown. gosh, does she ever have some cutie images! you can also find some great freebies and a fun challenge on her blog.

my card uses her latest freebie, Rockin' Doggie, and his matching sentiment. I made this card for the guys to give to David, as it goes pretty well with part of his Father's Day present. shhhhh..... can't tell you what that is just in case he peeky peeks over here before the big day! ;)

Papers are some digital ones called Celebrate Today from Design House Digital, star border is a MFT die, linen thread is SU!, buttons are from my stash, as is little black grosgrain ribbon snippet under metal clippie.  the guitar is covered in rock candy distress stickles and silver metal portions are painted with shimmerz. frets are accented with my clear spica glitter gel pen. the bg of the main image is actually a pale blue, but I couldn't get it to scan no matter what I tried. 'Dad' stickers are Melissa Frances. his sunglasses are covered in crystal effects.

Posts are going to be a bit sporadic for a while. lots of medical stuff coming up. ick. cancer really really stinks. and y'all are weary of hearing about it, I know. but not half as weary as I am of typing it all out. just glad I can craft when I'm feeling up to it. I am very blessed in that regard - well in lots of ways actually. :)

Challenges:
Birdie Brown - June freebie challenge
Twisted Tuesday - clothes make the man
Papertake Weekly - hello boys
Creative Card Crew - metal (file clip)
The Kraft Journal - just for him
Loves Rubberstamps - masculine
Tuesday Throwdown - you're the man
City Crafter - all about him
Craft Your Passion - Father's Day/masculine
Creative Craft - we love you, Dad
Country View Crafts - die cuts
Ladybug Crafts - for the men in our lives
Really Reasonable Ribbon - masculine plus ribbon or trim
Crafter's Cafe - father or for a male
Heck of a Challenge - bingo: yellow, die cut or punch, green
Eureka - Father's Day
Get Inky - boys and/or men
Lexi's Creations - Father's Day or special male birthday
Tammy's Scrappin' Corner - manly card or Father's Day
Clear it Out - male cards with metal (buttons are from old stash, as is shimmerz paint. metal is an old file clip)
Crafty Sentiment - card for a male
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - Father's Day

Congratulations to Ewe!

Coffee of the Day - Toasted Coconut

I'm sharing another one of the graduation cards that I promised you today. more will be coming later. yes, we know that many people graduating! ;) My card today is for the Top Tip Tuesday Challenge to use numbers. We are sponsored by both Bugaboo and Shape EZ Templates this fortnight.

I used the Graduation Sheep image from Bugaboo with Authentique Curiosity papers again. Also utilized the Class of 2013 free digi from Paper Crafts magazine. a few buttons, some baker's twine, and a cute little paper clip finish off this card going to one of Ryan's best friends. fairly simple, but that's okay. he won't mind! :)

Tip: ordinary office supplies become great embellishments, especially on cards for guys. look through that lap drawer of your desk and see what you can find for those hard-to-make masculine cards!

Challenges:
TTCRD - anything goes
Fitztown - anything goes
Kaboodle Doodles - anything goes
Songbird - All Creatures Great and Small
Dream Valley - animals
One Stop Craft - furry friends
Pumpkin Spice - anything goes
Chocolate, Coffee, & Cards - use a number
QKR - one for the boys
Crafting by Design - graduation
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - wedding, anniversary, or graduation

Clever Box Challenge Midway Post

Coffee of the Day - Iced Butter Pecan from Dunkin! :)

Today is the midway post for Tip Top Tuesday Challenges 'Clever Boxes'.  I'm afraid my box isn't all that 'clever', but it did suit it's purpose way back when I made it. You should stop by the challenge blog to see all of the gorgeous boxes the team has made!

I needed a box for Jocelyn's birthday goodies, so I made a fairly simple lidded one. Paper is Basic Grey Soleil, flowers are Prima, leaf die is SU!, bow die is MFT, and vintage buttons are from my stash.

please excuse my poor photo. I took it with my phone....

tomorrow the library opens - hooray!!!! :)

Challenges:
Loves Rubber Stamps - anything but a card
Digi Darla - 3D project
Get Inky - die cuts
TTCRD - anything goes

Clever Boxes at Top Tip Tuesdays

Coffee of the Day - Moon Pie (I was gifted with 2 bags of this yummy coffee for Mother's Day!)

Today brings a fun challenge over at Top Tip Tuesdays - Clever Boxes. no cards for this challenge. it's all about making great boxes! We are sponsored by MelJen's Designs. you should stop by the challenge blog to see all of the fun and VERY creative boxes made by the DT! you will certainly be inspired!

I chose to use the absolutely adorable Chili Chihuahua image for my little box. this guy soooo makes me smile! doesn't he look like he's ready to fiesta at the drop of his big sombrero? I don't know that my box is necessarily clever, but it sure was fun to make!

I first printed out the box template, cut it out, then stamped it with Unity's 'Dots for Sure' bg stamp. I used my SU! barely banana craft ink to stamp, but sadly it is almost bone dry, and refills are no longer available. I threw away way too many craft pads the other day when I was making this because they had dried out & I can't get ink to refill them. :(

anyway, the sentiment is from Create with TLC, gorgeous burlap flower is Prima sprayed with glimmer mist. the little pom poms on the dog's sombrero and the fringe on his serape were accented with a yellow glitter gel pen. some corrugated cardboard helps add to the rustic feel, while the yellow pom pom trim edging the box mimics that on his hat. a die cut flourish finishes it off! :)

Challenges:
Craft Room - stamp your own bg
Anything Goes - shaped, but not square
Forever Friends - anything goes
Get Inky - die cuts
Incy Wincy - animal antics
Lacy Sunshine - anything but a square
Delightful - stash it (bg stamp, flourish die, pom pom trim)
Stamping Chef - animal
WAW - anything goes
Clearly iStamp - celebrate

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

Mad Props with Top Tip Tuesday!

Coffee of the Day - Chocolate Bourbon Pecan (yes, it is THAT good!)

Today is a midway post over at Top Tip Tuesday. we are sponsored by the most fab Krista of Saturated Canary. Our challenge is to use faux stitching of some kind on your projects.

I chose the fun 'Starla' for my card. I love her quirky attitude and that great 'stache she is carrying! Papers are Basic Grey 'Clippings.' I love this new set of embossing folders from Tim Holtz that I came across on the JoAnn's website. all of you know that I can't sew worth beans, so the funky, shabby stitching of these is right up my alley! I took several scrap pieces  and adhered them to a piece of plain white cs. I then ran this through my embossing folder. I then lightly sanded the tops to give a more distressed look.

Linen thread is SU!, faux stitching was done with a black spica glitter pen, sentiments come from my SMASH date stamp (gosh, I love that thing!), and just a little button from my stash. oh yes, can't forget the little touches of washi tape and flowers! :) I also used both my clear spica glitter pen and a gold glitter pen to accent the stars on her face as well as the gold highlights I added to her hair.

Tip - a fun, new way to add faux stitching is with some of the great embossing folders on the market now. you can even lightly sand the tops once you emboss for a great distressed look! Check both Stampin' Up! and Tim Holtz to name just a few.....

Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge - distress
My Time to Craft - stitching
Delightful Challenges - color my world
Saturated Canary - anything goes
Sarah Hurley - projects with character
Lollipop Ladies - moustache (on a prop stick)
Nutcrafters - anything goes
WAW - anything goes with encouraging senti
TTCRD - anything goes
Bearly Mine - digi days

Top Tip Tuesday is Making me Laugh!

Coffee of the Day - Spiced Hazelnut

First of all I want to address the big upset regarding Google Reader -
I did a bit of research on Google Friend Connect, which is how I follow most of my blogs. from what I can gather per the Google Discussion Forum, I will still be getting those feeds in my dashboard as usual once Google Reader goes away. nothing is changing there. for any blogs I haven't been able to follow through GFC, I have always opted to follow by email where available. it's nice having the posts go straight into my mailbox. this means one less place for me to have to check each day - a good thing for me, but it might not work for other people.

the bottom line is this, folks. do what works best for YOU. :)

now for my card -
Top Tip Tuesday Challenges is looking for ROFL projects. I'm using a great image from QKR Stampede and one of my fave ever sentiments from Create with TLC.

papers are some digital ones I printed out. I'll be back to post the collection as soon as I find it in my files. the sentiment was printed directly onto a journaling card. buttons are from my vintage stash. I took a mug, dipped the rim into cold coffee, and then stamped that directly onto my card in several places. goofy me forgot that this is NOT the wisest thing to do with digitally printed papers, as they tend to run..... oh well. it adds to the flavor of the card, that is for sure! the journaling card was sprayed with my SU! ink squirty tool and an early espresso marker. isn't that an appropriate color for this card?! grins! chevron dies are from MFT.

Tip - a great way to add texture for animal fur is to stipple a darker color of ink over the area. you can even add a light coat of stippled white or ivory ink over the top once that is done. this helps give added dimension to the animal's fur.

Challenges:
Created with Love - button up
Love to Create - anything goes
Ooh La La - it's a man thing
Pause Dream Enjoy - anything goes
There She Goes - anything goes
Sentimental Sundays - anything goes w/a sentiment
One Stop Craft - anything goes
Crafty Catz - make us laugh
Creative Corner - fasteners (buttons and clip)
Delightful Challenges - here's one for the boys

Enjoy the Journey

Coffee of the Day - Chocolate Chipotle Bacon (yes, that IS my coffee! grins!)

Happy Saturday! we are in the midst of a snowstorm here. I'm watching cars slowly inching their way up the hill that my house sits upon. Here in NE Ohio, it's not unusual for us to have snow and bitter cold temps into the first part of May, so this really isn't a big deal. I remember an Easter several years ago where we had to cancel church because the snow storm was so bad.  glad I like the snow so much! :) perfect reason to stay inside and craft while my sons all sit around and play D & D. Hubby has a group out at Camp, or else he would be joining them. All of them played into the wee hours of the morning. it was great to hear the laughter of my guys filling the house! :)

Anyhow, I am here with a DT card. it is a halfway past the halfway post for Top Tip Tuesday Challenges, as well as a project for today's Paper a` la Mode at The Outlawz. You still have a few days left for the Top Tip challenge, which is 'Up, Up, and Away'. We are sponsored by Zlatoena and her cutey bunnies! Paper a` la Mode's theme is anything goes.

I'm using the 'Bunny on a Space Rocket' image and some great digital papers I came across. I'll link them up as soon as I track down the mfg. in my folders...... There are an assortment of dies on here - some from Spellbinders and others from MFT. the journaling card is from We R Memory Keepers. button is a coolio vintage one and wooden veneer stars are Studio Calico. clouds were edged in stickles, while parts of the spaceship and its flames were painted with shimmerz. Sentiment is Create with TLC. stamp on journaling card is from SMASH. I felt like such a goober because I realized that I had planned to accent the little dots in the flames with my gold glitter gel pen, but forgot. I didn't see it until after I scanned the card. will go back and get 'er done!

enjoy your weekend! stay warm in the love of the people around you! :)

Challenges:
Simply Create Too - Easter or bunnies
Charisma Cardz - twinkle twinkle little star
Crafty Ribbons - one for the boys
Little Miss Muffet - boys only
Fab 'n Funky - add a sentiment
Inky Impressions - add blue for colon cancer awareness
Word Art Wed. - anything goes with encouraging verse
TTCRD - anything goes
Tuesday Alchemy - anything goes
ABC - in the air

Tag it at Top Tip Tuesdays!

Coffee of the Day - Red Velvet Cake

Our new challenge at Top Tip Tuesdays is 'Tag it' - either create a tag or include a tag on your project. We are sponsored by Shape EZ Templates and Sweet Stamp Store. Be sure to stop by the challenge blog to see all of the great projects created by the DT! :)

I used the Flip Tree template for my card and papers from the Bright Smiles digital collection by Michelle Underwood at Two Peas. the middle panel has actually been modified so that it also lifts up. some vintage sequins and a Prima rose were added for simple embellishment.

Tip: Look around your home for great things to re-purpose in your crafting! the tag on my card comes from a purchase made at an antique store. some coats of distress stain, a few squirts of glimmer mist, a stamped sentiment, and several types of washi tape transform it into something brand new! :)

I'm going to be posting a bit more sporadically the rest of this week and into the next, I'm afraid. I just really don't feel well these days. I'll craft when I can, but I am just flat worn out and feel icky. I had really hoped to be back on track with DT work, but not so sure that is going to be happening now.....I don't have the energy to eat or do much of anything. gosh, the joys of cancer make me want to stick out my tongue like a proper 2 year old sometimes. sorry, but I'm just so weary of it right now. maybe if I spend a few days or a week in bed that will help things out.....

anyway. I am so thankful for the small things that make me smile every day. they  make such a huge difference in the ability to get through the rough moments. thank you for being part of that! :)

love to all of you! Jennifer

Challenges:
Kaboodle Doodles - anything but a square
Make it Monday - anything goes
Paper Girls - washi tape
Charisma Cardz - anything goes
Happy Campers - shabby chic
Southern Girls - bling it on
Crafty Sentiments - fancy folds or not square

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

Be Mine at Top Tip Tuesday

Coffee of the Day - Chocolate Peppermint

Today begins a new challenge over at Top Tip Tuesdays. the theme for this fortnight's challenge is 'Let Me Call You Sweetheart' and we are sponsored by both Stamp Fairy and Stamp and Create. I'll be showing cards from both sponsors during the 2 weeks of the challenge. sure hope you can play along with us! :)

My card for this week uses a precious digital image by Wags and Whiskers, called 'Bear Hug' that is for purchase at Stamp and Create. Lacey has the coolest stuff in her store, and I have it on good authority (Lacey herself!!) that the new Saturated Canary rubber stamps will be arriving sometime soon!

The papers are from the Basic Grey True Love collection, sentiment is from Create with TLC, hearts were cut with Spellbinders scalloped die, envelope was made with an A*Muse die, flower is a Prima, and buttons are from my vintage stash. the sentiment ticket was sprayed with glimmer mist, dress and bear's bow were accented with shimmerz paint, and angel wings were coated in distress stickles. faux stitching was added with a SU! crumb cake marker and highlight dots were added to hearts with a white gel pen.

I want to thank all of you who stopped by either here or at the Moxie Fab blog to leave such kind and beautiful comments for me! oh, how you make me feel loved! my heart has just been soaring since the moment I was first asked to be 'Moxie Fabber of the Week'! again, thank you so very much! :)

Challenges:
Digital Tuesday - hearts
TTCRD - anything goes
Party Time Tuesdays - love and romance
All That Stickles - anything goes with stickles
Eureka - sweet hearts
Incy Wincy - love is in the air
Dream Valley - Valentine
Glitter 'n Sparkle - Valentine/love
Robyn's Fetish - 3 hearts
Raise the Bar - animal attraction
QKR - Love is in the air
WAW - anything goes (waving hi to Karen!!!)
Going Gray with Scrap Creations - Valentine
Inky Chicks - Valentine or Anniversary
Oldie but Goodie - red and pink (ribbon is VERY old, as is the envelope die. of course the buttons are old - they are vintage! tee hee!)
Papertake Weekly - anything goes

Lovely Layers at Top Tip Tuesday

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Chocolate Caramel Pecan, oh yeah, it is GOOD!

Tuesdays mean Top Tip Tuesday Challenges, and I am NOT late this time! woooo hooooo! Can't tell ya how happy that makes me! ;) We are sponsored by Bugaboo, and that store always has some fun images for any occasion! The theme for our challenge this fortnight is lovely layers. Pop on over to the challenge blog to see the fabby creations by the DT!

I used the coolio image French Hen and a sentiment from Create with TLC. papers are MME Union Square. the border die and Eiffel Tower die come from My Favorite Things, French Script bg stamp is SU!, graphite glimmer mist was sprayed on the tag & twill ribbon, and crystal effects was added over the wine glass. (so happy SAB is right around the corner because my little bit of crystal effects left in the bottle has about dried up! yikes!) a few strips of washi tape to upper corner of card and accents with both a white gel pen & spica glitter pen were added to main image. voila!

Tip - an old cork saved from a bottle of wine, sliced thin, makes great buttons for craft projects! a few holes punched and you are ready to go! tres chic!

Challenges:
Incy Wincy - make us laugh
Bugaboo Bingo - image, ribbon, sentiment
Cutie Pie - 3 textures (crystal effects on wine glass, cork buttons, & twill ribbon)
Whoopsi Daisy - use a digi
Squirrel and the Fox - anything goes
Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes
Use it Tuesday - warm it up, use red, orange, and/or yellow (obviously my crystal effects is VERY old! I've also had the SU! bg stamp for a long time)

Top Tip Challenges - Fur or Feathers

Coffee of the Day - Red Velvet Cake

Good golly, some days I truly can't get it all together...... it just dawned on me today that I never posted the card I made for the current Top Tip Tuesday challenge - Fur or Feathers. and I actually had it done on time and everything! sheesh....... what a goober I am! ;)

head over to the challenge blog to see all of the great projects by the DT. you still have a little more than a week to play along. We are sponsored by the fabby Zlatoena and her cutie  pie bunnies! :)

My card uses the fun Rabbit Traveler digi image and Basic Grey Green at Heart papers. A spica clear glitter pen was used on the bike spokes; white gel pen for accent on the bunny, basket, and road markings. MFT die was used for grass. embellies include felt flower from Michael's, crochet trim, pearls, ticket stub, washi tape, and buttons. of course I have to add lots of distressing! :)

again, I am so sorry I forgot to post this back when I was supposed to...... this radiation poisoning has really messed me up. still trying to get over it. my skin ended up burning again, which was really weird, and is now trying to heal from that. what a bizarre ride this has been! have a visit with my regular dr. on Monday and my oncologist on Friday.

while all of the guys were home, we have been watching all of the current seasons of Dr. Who. boy oh boy, did I ever cry when David Tennant's Dr. regenerated. what an emotional episode! also reading lots and lots of books while resting. starting the new Michael Crichton one today. I do so miss him.

craft-wise I am slowly getting my craft room ready as well as trying to read as much as I can about Copic markers. want to learn how to use the few that I have so I am not so scared of them. ;) also trying my hand at printing a few digital papers. figured now is as good a time as any to try new things!

---->  don't forget that today is the big blog hop over at Create with TLC!!!! Paulette is so generous with her free artwork. be sure to let all of the DT know how wonderful their projects are with the free images provided on each blog. :)

Challenges:
Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes
By the Cute and Girly - cute and girly
Cards Galore - anything goes
Heck of a Challenge - thank you
Natalie and Amy's - favorites (Basic Grey, buttons, washi tape, tickets, distressing, PINK!)
Avenue 613 - anything goes
Dream Valley - anything goes
Glitter and Sparkle - use a digi
Allsorts - dies and punches
Basic Grey - new beginnings or something new (new-digi, felt flower, floral washi tape, floral button at top, pearls)
Stampin' for the Weekend - anything goes

Be Happy with Flowers and Ribbons

Coffee of the Day - Salted Caramel Pecan

Hello! can you believe it? 2 posts in a row? must be some kind of miracle.... grins! nah, just rushed around yesterday and actually finished a card in spite of feeling yuck. thought some bright colors might bring a bit of sunshine to my day, and they DID! :)
Don't know when I'll be crafting again. I have 2 projects I really want to finish for August, but other than that don't have any idea when I'll be up to it again. just feel so blech. wish I could snap my fingers and it would all disappear. but sadly life isn't like that. thankfully good moments come along that remind me to smile and stay focused on what really counts. :)

Today starts new challenges at both Party Time Tuesdays (anything goes) and Top Tip Tuesdays (focus on the ribbons). thankfully my card covers BOTH challenges! always a cool thing when that happens.....



My card uses the cute 'Courtney with a Flower' image from The Digi Garden. All trims, flower, & ribbons except the green polka dot come from Martha at Creating is Fun. papers are Pink Paislee She Art - I sooooo love this collection of papers! buttons are from my vintage stash. washi tape is My Mind's Eye. some faux stitching finishes the card. I have to add that this card has already headed off to Camp to be given to a lucky girl (well, hopefully she thinks she is lucky to get it!).

Tip: a fun way to adhere ribbons and trims, especially if you have several to add at once as I did on my card above, is to use a stapler. I keep several in various sizes on my craft desk at all times. super easy and a great look, too! :)

love and squishy hugs to all of you!

Challenges:
Love to Create - add a tag
Paper Pretties - 2 or more dsp
Ribbon Reel - photo insp plus buttons and ribbon/twine
Secret Crafter - bright & cheerful
Phindy's Place - button it
Stamping Boutique - anything goes (waving hi to my old teamies!!)

Running in Circles with Top Tip....

Coffee of the Day - White Chocolate Coconut

Shhhhhh....... I am starting to FINALLY feel a weeeee bit better from my last nasty chemo, so let's keep it on the down low...... I don't want my body to find out and cause a revolt! ;)

I managed to craft a bit early this afternoon. trying to do some backward crafting - a bit of makeup DT work if you will. I've got several other projects to finish if I'm able, so we'll see how it goes. then I would start to actually work on current stuff. better start drinking caffienated coffee if I'm gonna pull that one off. ha!

anyhow, the current challenge over at Top Tip Tuesdays is All About Circles. I call it more appropriately 'running in circles' because that is how you are more apt to find me! tee hee! One of our sponsors is the fun Redonkulous Designs. This was a new store for me, and I gotta tell you, I'll be going back! these images are fun on a stick!


I used the image, Trendy Teen Boy, and Basic Grey Clippings papers. you will have to excuse his unnaturally white teeth.... couldn't seem to do anything to get them to look real or not so bright. either that or he looked to have a constant milk moustache. oh well. there are worse things......

Not only are there circles all over my BG papers, but I punched some out as well. one was punched from a note card and then a SU! rub-on senti was applied. added some fun grid washi tape and metal buttons. a price ticket tag from a trip to The Salvation Army was the perfect match. you'll also see part of a belt loop stapled here.... you just never know what I am going to re-puropse on my stuff, do you?! once the card was complete, I sprayed the entire thing with clay Mr. Huey mist.

now for my tip:

My sons are past the point of 'outgrowing' clothes, so we don't donate as much to The Salvation Army as we used to. they are more into 'wearing out' anything they wear these days! I have trained them, and hubby, too!, to bring everything to me first so that I may take what I first need for crafting before any items get tossed into the trash. here you will find both buttons and a belt loop from a worn out pair of shorts. in fact, the pair of shorts looked quite similar to the pair this young fella is wearing in the digi!! ;)

you will have fun re-purposing these items, and whomever receives the card will get quite the kick seeing some of their fave pieces of clothes coming back to them. just ask my sons at college! they now only want cards that have some bit of their clothing on them.... grins!

Challenges:
Paper Shelter - metal embellies
Jacksons Digital Expressions - anything goes
Sassy Cheryl - polka dots everywhere (I've got all sizes, too! grins!)
Shopping our Stash - something new (papers & washi tape), stash (linen thread & re-purposed items)
House of Gilli - back to school (sending to one of my sons in college)
Kaboodle Doodles - what's in (twine & washi tape)
Love to Create - spots & dots
Ooh La La - recipe
Paper Cupcakes - waste not (waving hi to my old teamies!!)
Catered Crop - washi tape (hi, Linda!)
Robyn's Fetish - kraft cs
Squirrel & the Fox - kids or babies
Inky Impressions - dies or punches