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

It's Your Birdday!

Coffee of the Day - Salted Caramel Pecan

Happy Friday!  wooo hoooooo! it's the weekend! isn't that such a wonderful feeling? Tyler came in this afternoon to help work at Camp this weekend, and Ryan comes home next weekend for a long Spring Break. doing some cooking for my guys, which always makes this momma happy! hopefully Mick can get here for a day or two when Ry is here to visit, too. :)

I have a very special bird-day card to share with all of you today. I have started back up on Facebook again, in case any of you weren't aware. several friends invited me to 'like' a page about a special young man celebrating a birthday in just a few weeks. I knew I wanted to make him a birthday card, and when the new image was sent out for the 'From the Heart' progressive challenge, it was absolutely perfect!

I also used the sketch from this week's i {heart} sketches challenge. papers are Basic Grey Cupcake, bg was made with gelatos and Mr. Huey's white spray mist. I also used the gelatos on the edges of the main image. these little gel sticks are fun, fun, fun! :)  since the card is for a young boy, I wanted it to be something to hopefully make him happy, so I added the candle and balloons for the primary embellies. shimmerz paint accents the candle flame.

sorry the card scanned a bit wonky due to the bulk of the candles and balloons.
have a most wonderful weekend! :)

Challenges:
From the Heart progressive Ch - use required image
i {heart} sketches - use sketch #54
Sister Act - anything goes
Outlawz Greeting - animal planet
The Stamping Boutique - punch or die (Spellbinders die)
4 Crafty Chicks - things with wings
Aud Sentiments - bingo: 3 word senti, die cut, texture (candle & balloons)
Crafty Ribbons - anything goes
Little Miss Muffet - happy birthday with balloons
Paper Pretties - ribbon (on the left under my watermark)
WAW - anything goes with encouraging sentiment
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Loves Rubberstamps - use a funny sentiment
TTCRD - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - anything with wings
Artistic Inspirations - anything goes/masculine
Eureka - animal friends
Melonheadz - for the boys
613 Avenue Create - RAK for someone who might not expect to receive it (the boy doesn't know about the card drive)
Floral Fantasies 5th Anniv - fave item: buttons and Spellbinders dies

A Merry Merry Santa Dragon Tag

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Hello! Well I am just all over the place with my holidays today. drinking pumpkin spice coffee and showing you a Christmas tag. what in the world is going on in my wonky little world? probably best to not ever ask THAT question! ;)

but really, I am playing along in the Progressive Christmas challenge over at Digi Stamps 4 Joy. if we participated last month, we were all sent this little Santa Dragon image to use for this month. I thought he would make a fun tag.

the tag itself is embossed and lightly inked with white craft, paper is Basic Grey 25th and Pine, enamel dots are Teresa Collins, flower is a Shape EZ template edged in stickles. shimmerz paint and stickles are also used on the main image, which is popped off of the tag with foam tape.

I have several things going on 'behind the scenes' so to speak and have been really busy working on getting some organization done in my craft room. now that could take me til the end of next year, but I try to do little bits here and there....

hope to be back in another day or two with another project. take care! :)

Challenges:
Digi Stamps 4 Joy Progressive Christmas Ch
Outlawz Twisted Thursday - 3 of something
Crafty Ribbons - anything goes
Crimbo Crackers - Santa (if my Santa Dragon doesn't count, please just delete my entry. thanks!)
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - dies or punches (used both)
Lil Red Wagon - anything but a card, with paper
Paper Shelter - punches and dies
Penny's Paper Crafty - lots of layers
Shopping Our Stash - make your own embellies (flower)
TTCRD - anything goes
{Pin}spirational - anything goes
All Crafts - anything but a card
Eureka - animal friends

When I Gaze in Your Eyes....

Coffee of the Day - Salted Caramel with pecans

Happy Valentine's Day to you! even if you are not part of a 'couple', I want you to know that you are loved, truly. don't let this day make you feel 'less' than the most amazing wonderful person that you are! :)

I share with you the last of my Valentine cards - the one I made for my Hunny Bunny. He is most precious to  me, the love of my life. He is the reason my heart beats. when I saw this image from Tammy over at A Day for Daisies, I immediately knew I would use it for Dave's card. do you see how they complete each other? one is not more than the other, but they together make one, beautiful circle, full of love. and that love then overflows and spreads to others.

papers are Basic Grey True Love, die is from Spellbinders, sentiment sticker is SRM. shimmerz was painted over all of the hearts on the main image. everything else is from my stash.

I want to say thank you to each of you for stopping by. I wish you love. you are important to me. :)

Challenges:
Alphabet Ch - always and forever
Chocolate, Coffee, & Cards - 1 button, 1 bow, & 1 flower
Craft for the Craic - heart
WAW - anything goes inspirational
Craftitude - anything goes or Valentine/love
Cut it Up - Valentine's Day
Pinspirational - photo inspiration: colors, boy & girl, streamers, rose, hearts
Digi Haven - Valentine's Day
Fussy and Fancy - be my Valentine
Stamping Boutique - Valentine/love
Totally Papercrafts - Valentine/love
Wags 'n Whiskers - bingo: die cut, heart, flower
Pile it On - stripes and/or dots
Delightful Ch - Love Notes
Paper Crafting Journey - love is in the air
Path of Positivity - love
Aud Sentiments - bingo: 3 word senti, die cut, texture
Crafting for All Seasons - romance
Paper Shelter - be my Valentine
Ladybug Crafts - for the one I love
Paper Minutes - love is in the air
Bunny Zoe - hearts/love
Kaboodle Doodles - to my sweetheart
Stamp and Create - love is in the air
Crazy Ch - love is in the air
Digitally Sweet - photo inspiration (hearts, rose, red)
Paper Girls - love your love
Catered Crop - heart of the matter
Squirrel and the Fox - love

Cupcake Inspiration - photo inspiration

Wild About You, Valentine

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Today I am showing you the Valentine card I made for Mick. he loves animals and all things nature. this image comes from Aurora Wings, and I was blessed to win it in a fun Facebook contest about a month ago. I knew it would be fun for my guys, and Valentine's Day seemed the perfect time to try it out. I know that those of you who excel at using Copic markers would do a lovely job with this image. for now, you'll have to put up with my scrawny attempts watercoloring it. ;)

I was afraid if I reduced the image size too much, it would get really tough to color. therefore, it is BIG on this card. papers are Basic Grey Aspen Frost, a holiday collection that I happen to like for year 'round. I added some small touches to the main image with both silver and white gel pens. the man's cape is actually artichoke, but it turns a funny shade when used for watercolor.

See you tomorrow! thank you so much for popping by. :)

Challenges:
Sassy Studio Designs - Valentine's Day
Male Room - Valentine
Ruby's Rainbow - spots and stripes
Cardz 4 Guyz - truly madly deeply
TTCRD - anything goes
Craftitude - anything goes or Valentine's/love
Pile it On - stripes and/or dots
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - Valentine's Day
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes/use red
Crafty Bloggers - all about boys
Crafty Cardmaker - it's a man's world
Squirrel and the Fox - love
Open Minded Crafting - show some love
A Little Bit Crafty - man up
Animal Friends - dots
Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper - anything goes
A Creative Need - wild thing

A Precious Valentine Hobbit

I wanted to quickly post this Valentine for Tyler before one of the challenge deadline ends this evening......

we all LOVE LOTR in this family, but none more so than Tyler. we all defer to him if we ever have questions. so when I saw this fabulous Hobbit image over at MelJen's, there was no doubt in my mind that it would make the ideal Valentine for him! :)

papers are Basic Grey Kissing Booth, brads and canvas heart are SU!, sentiment was typed on my computer, and a touch of shimmerz paint was added to the cape's clasp on the main image. a simple card design, but perfect for my guy! :)

Challenges:
MelJen - i (heart) you
Crafter's Cafe - hearts
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - add a heart
Male Room - Valentine
Papertake Weekly - with a heart
Outlawz Paper a la Mode - Valentine
Artistic Inspirations - anything goes/Valentine
Crafty Bloggers - boys
Digi Makeover - hearts (hi to my old teamies!!!)
Eureka - hearts 'love is in the air'
My Sheri CRAFTS - Valentine
Send a Smile 4 Kids - for the boys
Sunflower Field - Valentine's Day/hearts
A Little Bit Crafty - man up

Be Mine, Porcupine! :)

Coffee of the Day - Eggnog

Tonight Dave is doing a big Camp presentation and Bible Study at a church in our District. Jocelyn, Mick's lovely girlfriend, is going to be there helping, so I wanted to send along her Valentine goodies with David. she absolutely ADORES the color purple, so whenever you see me make something with it, odds are that its a project for her. ;)

I saw this precious little porcupine image from over at A Day for Daisies and though it just about the cutest thing. don't know why it struck me this way, but I knew I wanted to use it on a frilly card for Joce. so I added some Basic Grey Kissing Booth papers, WOC flowers, a Create with TLC sentiment ticket, Prima trim, and fab pearl button. the little hearts on the main image are painted with shimmerz.

Just 2 cards left to make and then I'll be done with Valentines. whew..... then I have some other things to get caught up on. still feeling very wobbly from my fall. my head is all messed up and you so wouldn't believe the bruises I have. I am about as purple, red, and technicolor as this card! grins! :)

Challenges:
Paper Shelter - be my Valentine
Crafting By Designs - anything for love
Creative Moments - anything goes/love
WAW - anything goes encouraging
Outlawz Greeting Ch - love is in the air
Inky Chicks - use a cute animal stamp
Artistic Inspirations - anything goes/Valentine's Day
Cutie Pie Ch - my Cutie Valentine
Come and Get It - make it girly
Glitter 'n Sparkle - Valentine/ add some red
Robyn's Fetish - animals or birds
Di's Digi Designs - love and/or Valentine
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w/patterned paper
Seemacrafts - Valentine/love
Brown Sugar - Valentine
Craftitude - anything goes or Valentine/love
Creative Corner - seeing red
Get Inky - Valentine/love

Valentine, I Think You're Super!

Well I have been one busy little crafter bee today. feels good to get some of my Valentine cards made. still have a few left to do, but this is a start. sure would be horrible if the people I love didn't know come Friday! ;)

The first card I'm showing you is one that has already gone postal today. needed to get it in the mail along with a fun package of candy for Ryan so it would get to Indiana on time.

Ryan has always been our 'Super Ry', I think even before his fascination with all things Superman. it was just an easy choice to make a Superman Valentine card for him, using this great image from A Day for Daisies. in fact, when Tammy released the line a few years ago, I immediately snapped it up just for Ryan! :)

paper is Basic Grey True Love, wooden veneer is Studio Calico, linen thread is SU!. I added some faux stitching to the decorative paper and spayed the image bg with my ink squirty tool. the sentiment is one I typed out on my compy. little hearts are actually from a Spellbinders die. a big heart doily hides behind the main image.

Challenges:
ADFD - use a big heart
Crafty Sentiments - buttons or bows (I did both)
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - Valentine's Day
Oldie But a Goodie - Valentine (actually everything on here is old!)
Papertake Weekly - with a heart
TTCRD - anything goes
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes/use red
Crafty Bloggers - boys
Eureka - hearts/love is in the air
Lexi's Creations - Valentine's Day/love
Melonheadz - Valentine/love
Ooh La La - use a heart
Open Minded Crafting - show some love
Aud Sentiment - Valentine

Hang in there....

Coffee of the Day - Salted Caramel

Hang in there folks, I'll have some Valentine card projects to post here on my blog later today (hopefully!) and for further in the week.  I took 2 nasty falls the end of last week that have really thrown a ratchet into things. I am so very sore and bruised. tough to move around very much. but on the positive front, I've been watching some great stuff on Netflix! ;)  gotta look for that silver lining whenever we can! right? One of the shows is called 'The Following' with Kevin Bacon. we are hooked!

Dogs are happy because I have to sleep on the couch, so they climb up and keep me cozy warm. it's a bit of a tight fit, but we somehow manage. lucky Dave gets the big bed all to himself!

see you back here later! :)

I Didn't Fall....but my son did....

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

So last weekend our son, Ryan, broke his big toe while playing Ultimate Frisbee for his college team. he is now on crutches for the next few weeks. he'll be out of commission for about 6 weeks. it's really tough being so far away while he's going through this. so of course I had to make him a card. :)

Digital Delights by Looby Lou just released this fun image that is absolutely PERFECT! I can't tell you how hard it was to find something suitable. not many digis are out there for these kind of cards. papers are Basic Grey Carte Postal, sentiment is from Ginger's House. the card base was inked with the inside of a bubble mailer. pretty simple card design, but I think it works for a guy card!

Here is my ribbon storage tip for Top Tip Tuesday: I wrap my ribbons around manilla tags and store the tags in baskets by color. they look so pretty this way! :)

Challenges:
Outlawz - sketch
Glitter 'n Sparkle - buttons
A Little Bit Crafty - man up
Animal Friends - dots
Bastel-Traum - get well
Catch the Bug - anything goes
Drunken Stampers - anything goes
Crafty Catz - anything goes
QKR - anything goes
Sister Act - anything goes cards
Stempelsonne - animals
DRS Designs - under the weather
Penny's Paper Crafty - spots and dots
Top Tip Tuesday - use a sketch

Publication News! :)

Coffee of the Day - Eggnog

Hooray, hooray! I can share the news with all of you! I have been published in the latest issue of Quick Cards Made Easy! woooo hoooooo!

A HUGE thank you to Tammy at A Day for Daisies for submitting my card. it's an older card I made using one of her beautiful images. actually a card I made in honor of Mick and his lady love, Jocelyn. :) The section of the magazine is called Romantic images, and this one really lives up to the name! It's called 'The Perfect Gift' and I don't see it in the store any longer. it may have retired.

anyhow, I need to hurry up and order my own copy of the magazine while there are still copies available. thanks for sharing my happy news with me! enjoy your weekend! :)

edited to add this cutie pie piccy of Mick and Jocelyn that she just posted on Facebook.... they are soooooooooooooo adorable together! :)

Christmas Candle and Snowflakd

Coffee of the Day - Coconut Macadamia

This is a super fast post as we are on our way out the door. I completely forgot about the Digi Stamps 4 Joy Christmas Challenge that ends later today. if you use the free image you get another image next month to play along.

I'll be back later to add all of the details. :)

I'm back..... we needed to take Mick his 'new to him' car, and while we were there also took he & Tyler out to dinner. unfortunately I got really sick as we were driving home. boo hiss on that....

here are the details for the card:
image is from Digi Stamps 4 Joy, papers are from the Basic Grey Aspen Frost collection. the snowflake behind the image is actually a glitter ornament I picked up at Michaels for about 25 cents. it's more sparkly gold irl. shimmerz paint accents the candle flame and stars, while the holly berries are dotted with stickles. frosted stickles outline the entire main image.

Challenges:
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - monthly Christmas challenge
Fab 'n Funky - Christmas
Creative Moments - anything goes/add some sparkle
Penny's Paper Crafty - spots and dots
Sisterhood of Crafters - winter snowflakes
Craft Your Passion - spots and stripes
Christmas Card Challenge - anything goes
Glitter 'n Sparkle - bling it up
Robyn's Fetish - lots of glitter
12 Months of Christmas - monthly Christmas challenge

Be the Reason Someone Smiles

Coffee of the Day - Marzipan

I came across this fun store called From the Heart that has a neat challenge - if you play along with the free image one month, they will send you a new  image the next month for free to use in another challenge. I thought I would try it out. ends up I'm cutting it close getting my entry submitted since our printer had been out of ink for so long.

image is 'Kitten and Heart,' papers are from the Basic Grey Serendipity collection, chevron & bow dies are from MFT, sentiment is Create with TLC. everything else is from my stash. the bg is sprayed with glimmer mist. a simple card, but glad I could play along! :)

Challenges:
From the Heart - monthly image challenge
Going Grey With Scrap Creations - fave embellies: buttons
Outlawz Greeting - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Artistic Inspirations - anything goes/animals
Created With Love - anything goes
Eureka - anything goes
Through the Purple Haze - digi and a die (Spellbinders & MFT)
Simply Create Too - Valentine's Day or hearts
Moving Along with the Times - cats

King of the Mountain by Max Lucado....

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Nut

My friend, Joan, had a really good post the other day. you might remember me mentioning Joan. she is the one who is so slap dash amazing at CAS. and she's a pretty insightful person in her own right, I must say. plus she's just so NICE! :)

anyhow, her post was about a person who left a comment about being discouraged with rejection in her crafty life. (hey, we crafters ALL know how that feels, don't we?) I was reading this devotional this morning and it really spoke to me about this dilemma. what is inspiring our drive?

here is the devotional:

King of the Mountain

King of the Mountain!  Remember playing that game as a kid? The object is to push, claw, and climb until you get to the top. Once there, you fight to hold your position. Don’t even think about sitting down. Forget enjoying the view. Slack up and you’ll be slapped down. And then you’ll have to start all over again.

As grown-ups we still play King of the Mountain, but now the stakes are higher.  The push for power has come to shove. And most of us are either pushing or being pushed.

I might point out the difference between a passion for excellence and a passion for power. The desire for excellence is a gift of God.  It’s characterized by respect for quality, a yearning to use God’s gifts in a way that pleases him. The quest for excellence is a mark of maturity. But the quest for power— it’s childish!

By the way, you don’t have to play King of the Mountain.

From The Applause of Heaven

you can find Max Lucado on both Facebook and Twitter. I have long been an avid reader of his books. have just recently signed on as a follower of his daily devotions. his down to earth, plain and simple way of putting things, is pretty inspiring.

and today's devotional is what I aspire to with my crafting - I just want to do my best to serve Him using the gifts He has given me. it's not about the competition. I WANT to be able to encourage my fellow crafters with whole hearted joy, no competition, but instead focusing on what is best for each of us in our own personal journey. that word 'respect' really jumped out at me. not just in crafting, but all areas of my life. I need to work on it, believe you me. I'm not there yet, but I'm baby stepping.....

in the spirit of sharing, the UK Sizzix site has some fabulous digital Valentine papers for free today. head over to download to your compy! :)

Best Wishes Penguin Prezzie

Here is one more card for the Bugaboo Birthday Challenges. I am so happy to be adding to my birthday card stash! not sure if I'll get any more made before deadline, but I'm glad to have done 4. now to get going on some Valentine cards next.....

This card is for the first of the challenges, a bingo/tic-tac-toe board. I think I spent most of today looking for a card template. I have one for a stack of gifts, but only wanted to make a single present. ended up having to improvise, as everything I found required an electronic cutting machine. I don't have one of those gizmos, but am truly content with my Big Shot. :) boy howdy, does it ever get a workout in my craft room!

image is from Bugaboo, papers are from the Echo Park Birthday Girl collection, bow die is MFT, flower is WOC, sentiment is SU!, and everything else is from my stash. distress stickles were added to the cupcake and other items on main image. a little rhinestone tops the cupcake.

the present top portion is actually a pull out card. didn't get an extra photo since I was doing good to get my scanner to co-operate for one piccy! :)

Challenges:
Bugaboo - bingo: bugaboo image, cupcake, scallop
Crafty Hands - add a tag
Sister Act - anything goes
Animal Friends - punches (tag) and dies (main image & bow)
The Crafting Cafe - anything goes
Die Cuttin' Divas - penguin appreciation day (dies - Spellbinder & MFT)
Emerald Faeries - things with wings
Paper Shelter - digi image with senti
TTCRD - anything goes
{Pin}spirational - photo: penguin, stripes, watercolor (that's how my image is colored)

Celebrate Your Birthday with a Flying Ellie! :)

Coffee of the Day - Gingerbread

Hello and happy, happy Friday to ya! I'm adding another Bugaboo Birthday challenge card. This is for their color challenge. these are sometimes hard for me, as I never know if it's okay to add another color or if I HAVE to use every single color. y'all know I'm not always real good with rules. ;)

The cutey image is from Bugaboo, papers are from the Basic Grey Lemonade and Knee High collections, flowers are Prima, ribbon is May Arts, metal 'celebrate' charm is from JoAnn's. I don't normally go in for bold colors like this, but I do think it turned out pretty cute.

will try to get one or two more done before the deadline. these have been fun!
enjoy your weekend, whatever you might have planned. :)

Challenges:
Bugaboo - color
Mojo Monday - sketch
Delicious Doodles - ribbon
Stempelsonne - animal
Cards Galore Encore - anything goes
Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper - anything goes
Inky Impressions - ribbon
Artistic Inspirations - anything goes/ribbon
Card Mania - anything goes
Eureka - fave 3 embellies: buttons, ribbon, flowers
Love to Create - buttons
My Sheri Crafts - use a digi

Happy Birthday Sketch

Here is part 2 for today's Bugaboo Birthday Challenge cards....
we'll see how many I am actually able to finish.

This card is for the sketch challenge. I did take a few liberties with the sketch, as I am wont to do, but I think you can still see the main sketch fairly well.

image is from Bugaboo, papers are from the Basic Grey Sweet Threads collection, buttons & fabby hot pink doily were sent to me by my friend Joan. that lady knows trendy like nobody's business. she is also the master of CAS, which y'all know I can't do to dig myself out of a hole.
candle flame and stars were painted with shimmerz.

Challenges:
Bugaboo - birthday sketch
A Little Bit Crafty - celebrate
Paper Pretties - anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - birthday
Deep Ocean - birthday
Eureka - fave 3 embellies: buttons, linen thread, doilies
Sentimental Sundays - more than 3 layers
Crafty Calendar - celebrate
Stampin' for the Weekend - Happy Birthday
Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper - anything goes

Collecting Wrinkles

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Nut

I swear, for a fairly intelligent person, I can be quite the goober sometimes.... over at Bugaboo they are celebrating their 4th birthday with all kinds of fun challenges. silly me thought that each challenge had to be completed within 24 hours. I did not realize we had until Friday to get them done. THAT makes me one VERY happy camper, as I have spent the  majority of this week in bed.

so hold on to your horses as I try to get a few of these challenges done before the deadline. I'll be posting as I get each project finished if all goes well..... I do hope you will play along, too! :)

This card is for the 'Humor Me' challenge. it's a bit on the plain side for me, but then again, it's for a guy, so I have to be careful to not over-embellish these. otherwise I catch so much grief from my guys! grins!

image is from Bugaboo, papers are from the Basic Grey Cupcake collection, dies are Spellbinders, and all of the other embellies are from my stash. the sketch comes from the i {heart} card sketches challenge. the orange strip along the left side is a piece of washi tape. balloons are covered in stickles, and eyeglasses & clock face are covered in crystal effects. the image bg is a pale blue, but my scanner is truly on its last leg and not doing so well..... need to try to find someone who can repair it, as our other printer doesn't scan worth beans.

now off to make some more cards! :)

Challenges:
Bugaboo - Humor Me birthday
i {heart} card sketches - sketch #50
A Little Bit Crafty - celebrate
Crafty Girls - anything goes
Aud Sentiments - pick your own
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - ribbon
Inky Impressions - ribbon
Deep Ocean - birthday
Artistic Inspirations - ribbon/anything goes
Digi Sketch - one for the men
Love To Create - buttons
Crafter's Cafe - ha ha ha very funny

You've Been On My Mind

Coffee of the Day - Coconut Macadamia Nut

Hello and happy Friday! it's snowing like crazy here. We got the news last night that both Tyler and Ryan are coming in this evening to spend the long weekend with us. you know that makes me a very happy mom! :)

I did manage to get another card made to share with you. We needed a sympathy card for a gentleman in the Church District Office who's mother passed away last week. Since I am still out of ink in my printer, I'm a bit limited as to what I can use. I thought these stamps from Unity worked out pretty well.

Stamps are from the sets 'Cherish Your Dreams' and 'Debby Girl'. papers are from the Basic Grey Hopscotch collection, washi tape is Tim Holtz (I think), baker's twine is from The Twinery. flower centers are dotted with antique linen distress stickles. oh yes, the little kraft reinforcement sticker comes from The Kraft Outlet. it's a fairly simple card, but I wasn't sure if it was going in the mail or if Dave was going to deliver it the next time he goes to the District Office.

I hope all of you have a most wonderful weekend!

Challenges:
Unity - friends with flair
Brown Sugar - anything goes
Frosted Designs - polka dots
Sister Act - anything goes with cards
Aud Sentiments - any sentiments
Crafting Cafe - anything goes
WAW - anything goes with encouraging senti
TTCRD - anything goes
Card Mania - anything goes

A Thankful Kangaroo

Coffee of the Day - Holiday Blend (I think it's cinnamon, vanilla, and caramel...)

Hello! I have quite a few cards I need to make, so am trying to slowly but surely get into my craft room to get them done. biggest problem is that my printer is out of black ink and we have to wait a bit to get more. so I'm trying to use images I had already printed out, but had not had the chance to color. who know what y'all are going to end up seeing! grins!

Our next door neighbor, (they are just the most amazing, sweet couple!!!) gave me a gorgeous piece of pottery that she had made herself for Christmas. it truly brought tears to my eyes when I opened it. so I knew I wanted to make a special thank you card for her. I usually get the cards made for people, but am horrid at getting them mailed. all of mine need special envies and lots of postage, so have to wait until we have the money to take them to the post office. this one can just get walked next door! woo hooooo! one down out of a bajillion I owe everyone!

The sweetie little kangaroo is from A Day for Daisies, papers are from the Basic Grey Picadilly collection, little rose is Wild Orchid Crafts, 'thanks' is a new to me coolio SRM sticker. shimmerz paint was added to the wings and flowers, Mr. Huey's white spray was misted onto card base. everything else is from my stash.

I hope to be posting a bit more often.... thanks for sticking with me! :)

oh yes, Tammy at ADFD let me know that she sent in a card I had made using one of her images to 'Quick Cards Made Easy' for publication!!! so the magazine will be coming out the end of this month. it is the Feb. issue. thanks, Tammy! you are so good to me!

Challenges:
ADFD - add yellow
Emerald Faeries - things with wings
Animal Friends - punches or dies
Die Cut Divas - make it glitter (shimmerz paint)
Crafty Girls - anything goes
Ladybug Crafts - thanks
Creative Moments - anything goes/buttons & pearls (the shimmerz paint on the wings is actually a pearl tone)
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - glitter & sparkle (shimmerz paint)
Sisterhood of Crafters - use something new ('thanks' sticker)
TTCRD - anything goes
Whimsy - something new ('thanks' sticker)
WAW - anything goes that is encouraging
Loves Rubberstamps - metal (paperclip)
Word Play Saturday - yellow
One Crazy Stamper - anything goes

Miracles Big and Small

Coffee of the Day - Creme Brulee

every single day is filled with miracles - sometimes big, sometimes small.

received a call from hubby this morning about 10am. he was getting ready to deliver the message at church when he had a call from Mick. Mick had been in a car accident that has evidently totalled his car. God's angels were working overtime. Mick is okay!!! his most amazing girlfriend, Jocelyn, was on her way to pick him up. I don't care about the car. my son is alright. no one is injured. 

David and I prayed on the phone, not just for Mick, but also for Dave and the message to be delivered. 

Tyler was working out at Camp cooking breakfast for the group that was there for the weekend. Ryan is at school in Indiana. I was reminded of the phone call I received almost 12 years ago when Tyler was hit by a car. our family was scattered in all different directions then, too. 

we might not always be together physically, but we come together in adversity. God knows that. He put the 5 of us in this crazy wacky thing we call a family for a specific reason. and sometimes we lose sight of it, but we are a miracle. we stick together through thick and thin, laughter and tears. we are here for each other and always will be. no matter what.

A Few Sites To Share With You...

Coffee of the Day - Gingerbread

Hello and Happy Friday!
I want to share a few sites with you today.  I know that after the holidays money tends to be on the tight side for many of us. at my house with sons in college and all of our HUGE medical bills, every single penny counts every day of the year. so I appreciate all of the wonderful people all over cyberspace who provide freebies to us crafty sorts...

thought I would pass along several great places I have come across lately:

first up is Far Far Hill, a wonderful site for digital papers and kits. there is also a store attached to the site. I will tell you that downloads do take a bit of time if you don't pay for the advanced service, but if you start the download at the beginning of your time online, you will hardly notice how long it takes. papers and vintage items are absolutely lovely!

next up is Ginger's House, a fun place for sentiments. she has some that are deep and thought provoking while others just crack me up.

The Graphics Fairy is just one of the many sites I visit for fantastic vintage clip art and images.

of course Create With TLC will always and forever be one of my ab fab fave places to go for sentiments and vintage images. Paulette is so very generous with her freebies every day.  I don't get by as often as I would like, but I am always in for a treat when I drop by. :)

Enjoy your weekend!

A New Year with Old Friends

Coffee of the Day - Gingerbread

Hello and Happy Thursday! the weekend is just around the corner!
Mick made a surprise visit home today, so that has been a real treat! it has been snowing like crazy for the past few days. we have SO MUCH SNOW! you know I'm a happy camper! bad news is that we still have no heat in the house and the plow truck is broken down. good thing we aren't going anywhere! hopefully the part for the heater will get here the first part of next week. it's been a lonnnnng few weeks. thank goodness we have a few space heaters that have helped. temps are to be down below 0* tonight, so we are going to be bundled up.....

my craft room has a gas heater, so I was in there toasty warm today! ooooh it was so nice to be both warm AND crafty! grins!

image is from Sassy Studios Designs from their Facebook Challenge, sentiment is Create with TLC for their Show it Off Sunday, papers are from the Basic Grey Aspen  Frost collection, fabric brads are Martha Stewart, rhinestones and roses are Wild Orchid Crafts. stickles were used to accent the folds of her dress as well as the tree inside the card.

I couldn't get a very good photo of the inside of the card, but this is a twisted easel card. I hadn't tried this particular technique before. I've made standard easel cards, but not the twisted variety. the inside of the card has not only the die cut tree, but also a portion of a doily and some washi tape. a button helps hold the front easel open.

Challenges:
Scrapbook Blessings - twisted easel from Ch #4
Desert Island Crafters - glitter (stickles), die cut, snowflakes (bg paper), 3 layers, distressing
CRAFT - anything goes
Creatalicious - 2014 wishes
Oozak - anything goes/blue tones (mine is more aqua and teal. hope that it will count)
Natalie and Amy's - one for the girlies
Crazy Challenge - celebrate the new year
Red Carpet Studio - New Year's Eve: new fabric brads

A Most Beautiful and Blessed 2014 to You!

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Butter Rum

Just a quick pop in to send thoughts to each and every one of you for a most beautiful and blessed 2014! thank you for all you have meant to me in the past..... I look forward to what the future holds! it is what we make it - in our choices to what life brings our way. look for joy, and you will find it. I look for joy, and I see YOU! :)

Finally Got My Crafty On!

Coffee of the Day - Gingerbread

It is snowing like crazy here, which is great since most of it had melted off in the past few days. I just LOVE the Winter Winderland I call home! :)

while my family was away this past weekend working at Winter Camp, I was actually able to do a bit of crafting for the first time in over a month! gosh, did it ever feel GREAT! of course it took me almost an entire day to make one card, and my poor scanner is on it's very last leg, sad to say. but I hope to get back to my craftroom again in the next day or so. wooohoooo!

The image is by Simply Betty and is called 'Angel Elizabete'. she cracks me up! back when I was in Jr. High, we had to draw pictures of what our friends thought of us, what our parents thought of us, and then what we thought of ourselves. this image is pretty close to the one I drew of myself! yes, I've always had that sassy, rebellious side to me! tee hee!

The sentiment is from Ginger's House, papers are from the Echo Park Winter Park collection, ribbons from rose are May Arts, white trim is Prima, accents to main image are done with stickles, spica glitter gel pen, and shimmerz paint. washi tape, buttons, and rhinestones finish the card.

Challenges:
Simply Betty Facebook Ch - add snowflakes
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything Goes
Party Time Tuesday - Anything Goes
Pile it On - 'P' is for.... pink, patterned paper, punches, Prima :)
Sentimental Sundays - pick one of the fave challenges (#160 for the girls)
That Craft Place - anything goes
Stampin' for the Weekend - anything goes
YNS - photo inspiration
4 Crafty Girls - anything goes
DRS Designs - frosted flakes
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - anything goes
Paper Shelter - anything goes