Baby Boy Diaper Fold Card

Coffee of the Day - Irish Creme

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

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

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

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

Such a Cute Big Sister!

Coffee of the Day - Coconut Pecan

Yesterday we received the news that our nephew and his wife welcomed their second child, a handsome boy, into their family! mom and son are doing great, thank goodness! I am putting final touches on the baby card, so will hopefully share that with you tomorrow. but in the mean time I want to show you the card I made for 'Big Sister'.  I didn't want her to feel left out in the excitement of Baby Brother coming home. :)

the image is one given out over at Maurie Manning's new "Bronte and Bella's Clubhouse" on Facebook. it's a great group of VERY talented crafters. there are challenges and contests that will take place all the time. this image was given so everyone could practice their face coloring and shading.  I know I'll be using it to work on some much needed Copic coloring skills. sigh..... no way could I ever afford one of the Copic classes, so will practice practice practice away here at home with this cutie!

papers and sticker embellishments are from the Basic Grey Fresh Cut collection. sentiment banner was sprayed with glimmer mist. stickles was dotted on the butterfly sticker. ric rack, a doily, button from my stash, and pretty pink wired ribbon complete the card. a few little dots with my white gel pen sit in the upper corner.

Have a great weekend! :)

Challenges:
Bronte and Bella's - plenty of embellies
Sweet Sketch Wed. - sketch
As You Like It - fave coloring medium and why (I really enjoy watercoloring with my SU! inks.  I like the different looks I can get by using the various brushes and amounts of water. they are just so much fun!)
Aud Sentiments - anything goes with a sentiment
Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbons
Crafting By Designs - use a ribbon
Penny's Paper Crafty - buttons and bows
WAW - anything goes encouraging
Outlawz Twisted Thurs. - anything goes with texture twist
Fan-tastic Tues. - anything goes square
Ladybug Crafts - for a special lady (I hope a young lady counts! grins!)
{pin}spirational - photo inspiration (pink, flowers, polka dots)
Artistic Inspirations - for the kids
Created with Love - girly
Melonheadz - girly
Shabby Tea Room - anything goes
Bearly Mine - one for the girls
A Gem of a Challenge - for a special lady (again, a young lady)
Sweet Stampin' - special (young) lady
Aurora Wings - anything goes

Happy Day, Lucky U Giraffe

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Hazelnut

Periodically I send cards to a little boy who has cancer. I found out that he loves giraffes. Yesterday Just Some Lines was giving away a free giraffe digi image. (free offer expires today, Thurs.) perfect! time to make him a new card! :)

Papers are from the Basic Grey Shine On collection, tag & sentiment stamps are from My Favorite Things. little enamel dots are some of my homemade ones and button is from my stash. red twine is re-purposed from the dog food bag. ;)  faux stitching was added with my white gel pen.

I forgot to mention that the little tag was made with a manila envelope I had saved. yes, I really do re-purpose just about everything! :)

Challenges:
Catch the Bug - sketch
Just Some Lines - St. Patrick's Day/Good Luck
Fab 'n Funky - boys to men
Penny's Paper Crafty - buttons and bows
Cardz 4 Guyz - tag it
Digi Choosday - boy stuff
Shopping Our Stash - buttons and bows (button and dec papers)
TTCRD - anything goes
Artistic Inspirations - for the kids
Scribble and Scrap - anything goes
Crafty Calendar - animal antics
WAW - anything goes encouraging

Sassy Kitty

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Vanilla Creme

I have another progressive challenge card to show you today, but this one is from a challenge a bit ago. I completely forgot to finish and upload it. doh on me! :/

image is from Sassy Studios Designs, papers are Basic Grey Hipster, brads & linen thread are SU! not a very fancy card since it is one I am giving to Dave. just a silly thing, really, but fun.

Challenges:

Sweet Sketch Wed - sketch

Craftin' Desert Divas - buttons, ribbon, twine, or brads (I used 3)

ABC Ch - 'h' is for hair

Open Minded Crafting - buttons

Craftitude - anything goes or add a little green

Crafty Hands - buttons and bows

Creative Fingers - anything goes with Sassy Studios image

Penny's Paper Crafty - anything goes

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes with patterned paper

Crafting From the Heart - anything goes/inspired by a movie (Cats)

The Doctor and His Rose

Coffee of the Day - Irish Creme

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you! I hope you have started this day dancing a jig and celebrating all that is Irish within you! perfect excuse to watch some 'Boondock Saints' later today! gosh, that is such a great movie! :) and a little pre-Walking Dead Darryl never hurt anyone either. grins!

today is also my last project as a Guest Designer over at Love to Scrap Challenges. I have had such fun being with them this month and really appreciate them having me along! The new challenge is 'Buttons and Bows', with Stitchy Bear Digi Outlet and Fresh Squeezed Stamps as the sponsors.

You will not be surprised to see that I chose 'Trust Me I'm a Doctor 2' for my card! how could I resist the opportunity to make a Doctor Who card? btw, Alipeeps Art happens to have another Doctor Who image in her collection, too, if you are as much as a fan as my family happens to be! :)

papers are Kaisercraft Pickled Pear, dies are Spellbinders for the main image, Tim Holtz for the clock face, and Cheery Lynn for the leaf flourish. burlap ribbon piece is May Arts and roses are Prima. buttons are from Craftpon. I used my label maker for the title. this card just goes to show you that buttons and bows are not limited to girly cards!

did you notice my tribute to Rose? I had to point it out to Dave, but he thought it was pretty clever. This Doctor just needs to have his Rose Tyler. sigh......

Challenges:
Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes
OSAAT - use a digi
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes with patterned paper
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes/inspired by a movie (Dr.Who)
Crafts Galore Encore - use a stamp or digi
LEJ Designs - use your fave dies
Open Minded Crafting - buttons
Outlawz Greeting - St. Patrick's Day or use green
QKR - anything goes
Sister Act - anything goes

Painting Handyman 'To Do'...

Coffee of the Day - Coconut Cream

it's time for a new challenge over at Pile it On. we want to see cards for the guys! our sponsor this week is none other than the infamous Dr. Digi! I hope you will stop by the challenge blog to see all of the great inspiration by the rest of the team. :)

image is 'Dunderton Decorators Ltd', papers are from the Basic Grey Capture collection, burlap is from May Arts, brads are SU!, 'to do' stamp is K & Co SMASH. the painter's tape just seemed the perfect accent. I used the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches, but twisted the one panel just a bit for some fun. our handyman's glasses are coated in crystal effects.

Challenges:
Pile it On - for a man
Tuesday Morning Sketches - sketch with a 'b' twist (black, brown, blue, brads, buttons, burlap, binder's clip, bow)
Crafty Catz - boys and their toys
Crafty Hands - buttons and bows
QKR Stampede - anything goes
Stampin' for the Weekend - anything goes
4 Krafty Girlz - anything goes
Nutcrafters - boys, boys, boys
Fan-tastic Tuesday - anything goes square
Ladybug Crafts - for the boys
TTCRD - anything goes
Digi Makeover - buttons
Love to Create - anything goes
Melonheadz - bright colors
Perfectly Rustics - hexagons
Flat Friends - for a male
Crafts Galore - use a stamp or digi (used both)
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes with patterned paper
Just for Fun - anything goes
Catch the Bug - bingo: use the color green, text bg, 4 layers
Open Minded Crafting - buttons

Destination Happiness

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Biscotti

Well today is another day to share fun news with you! I had mentioned at the start of the year that I really wanted to spend time discovering new artists. Well not only have I found a new one, but I am now on her Challenge Design Team!

Let me introduce you to Lizzy Love and her company, Oddball Art Stamps! her images are absolutely wonderful! I was a fan first, and then crossed my fingers and held my breath when she had a DT call. imagine my excitement when I received the email asking me to join!

Our first challenge is an 'Anything Goes'. Each challenge will run for one month, and participants may enter up to 3 times. The prize for one randomly chosen winner will be 3 digis from the Oddball Art Co. Etsy store. wooo hoooo! and much to my delight, a brand new zombie digi has just appeared in the store! you KNOW how happy that makes me! :) we will also have Top 3 winners!

so now for my card.... I love this Big Eyed Girl image! be sure to check out all of them in the Etsy store. papers are from the new Basic Grey Spice Market collection, flower is Prima, pretty ribbon twine is May Arts, pennant punch is SU!, and die is Spellbinders. glimmer mist was sprayed on the bg patterned paper. the sentiment is also SU! I used my spica black glitter gel pen to add a few accent dots.

I hope you will stop by the Oddball Art challenge blog to say hello to all of the DT, but I also hope you will play along! :)

I have a little hint for you.... if you go to this video by Lizzy on youtube, I bet you will be in for a treat! :)

Challenges:
Deconstructed Sketch - sketch #142
QKR Stampede - anything goes
Sister Act - anything goes
4 Krafty Girlz - anything goes
Aud Sentiments - anything goes with a sentiment
Crafters Cafe - flowers
Hobbybook - make it girly
WAW - anything goes encouraging
Pause, Dream, Enjoy - any sketch
Bearly Mine - one for the girls
Crafts and Me Inspiration - anything goes
Natalie and Amy's - flowers
A Gem of a Challenge - for a special lady

Irish Piggie on a Pot

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Vanilla Cream

sorry I have been away for a while. have really not been doing well. was hit by some nasty something or another that knocked me for a loop. spent 3+ days running a fever of over 102*. not fun at all. thought I was starting to get a bit better, but was mistaken. boo on that.....

but, on a positive note, I have made a few cards that I will be sharing over the next few days. I wanted to be sure to play along in the monthly progressive challenge at From the Heart. I also used the latest sketch from them for my card. These progressive challenges are always a fun way to get some neat images for free, but have a fun time, too. :)

The papers are from the new Basic Grey Mon Ami collection, dies are Spellbinders, punch for the sentiment is by Jenni Bowlin while the border punch is SU! felt flower is from Michael's.  some faux stitching was added for accent along with a bit of vintage lace and a ticket. I also added homemade enamel dots. these were so easy to make, and you know I use them all the time on my  projects!

thank you so much for stopping by! I'll be back in a day or so. :)
oh yes, thank you also for your encouragement and kind words regarding my previous post about the publishing snafu. y'all are the best! and for those of you who have had similar things happen to you, I am so very sorry.

Challenges:
From the Heart - monthly progressive challenge
i {heart} card sketches - sketch #57
Aud Sentiments - anything goes with a sentiment
Delightful Ch - wearing of the green
Outlawz Twisted Thurs. - anything goes with first day of spring twist
Sassy Studio Designs - Happy St. Patrick's Day
Tuesday Throwdown - stitching (faux)
Inky Impressions - go green
Crafters Cafe - flowers
Fab 'n Funky - animals
Little Red Wagon - truly dimensional (the main image & senti are also adhered with foam tape)
Scrapper's Delight - St. Patrick's Day
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Pause, Dream, Enjoy - use any sketch
{pin}spirational - photo inspiration
Papertake Weekly - bingo: lace, punched shapes (sentiment & border), flowers

A Sad Ending to What Was a Happy Story....

Coffee of the Day - Salted Caramel Pecan

well I was so very excited a while back when I heard the news that a card of mine was going to be published in Quick Cards Made Easy magazine. imagine my disappointment when I actually received a copy of the magazine and my card is no where to be found.

instead, the magazine has taken the colored image from my card and published that next to the name of the store. no mention at all of me, my card, my blog, or where the colored image came from.

in my opinion, that is bad form. I didn't know this card/image was being sent to Quick Cards until after it had already happened. the store owner is the one who sent it in, digitally. and that is not who I am upset with.

I know I am not a fabulous crafter. I accept who I am and what I do. but gosh, I do take pride in what I make. and for a magazine to just remove a colored image and publish it with no credit being given makes me question their integrity. I did not give my permission for any of this.

yes, I am hurt. and I am saddened. whatever happened to 'play nice'?

crafters - not only do you need to watermark your projects, but you need to watermark over the colored images. you have to protect yourself. no one else is going to do it for you. the saddest part of all of this is that you can't trust the people you thought you could. and that just breaks my heart. it shouldn't be this way.

Thank You So Much, Little Ladybug!

Coffee of the Day - Coconut Macaroon

Coolio news - I am a March Guest Designer over at the Love To Scrap Challenge blog! I was so excited when Leslie asked me if I would be interested. well yeah! of course! :)

The new challenge starting today is a really fun one. it's called 'Back it Up' and the idea is to create your own background using no patterned paper for the bg. wow! challenging, yes, impossible, not really. grins! Sponsors are Bugaboo (prize is 7 images) and Eureka Stamps (prize is 5 images).

I used the cutie Bugaboo image 'Lady Bug Flower Pot' on my card.  the bg was made with a mix of red and pink gelatos. I have found that I like to spray mine with a frosty glimmer mist rather than plain water, as this gives the entire piece an all over shine. once this dried, I used the inside of a padded envelope to stamp in white craft over portions of the card base. 

the few paper scraps I used are from the Basic Grey Serendipity collection, flowers are WOC, brads are SU!, and sentiment sticker is from SRM Stickers. little accents were made with both clear & black spica glitter pens and then stickles on the lady bug's dots.

I hope you will play along in this fun challenge by trying something perhaps new and different from your usual style. it's always neat to mix it up every once in a while! :)

Challenges:
Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes
Come and Get It - flowers
Glitter 'n Sparkle - add a sentiment
Robyn's Fetish - anything goes
Allsorts - spring is coming
Catch the Bug - anything goes
Cards Galore Encore - use a stamp or digi
Ladybug Crafts - anything goes
Natalie and Amy's - flowers
Crafts 4 Eternity - texture
Sister Act - anything goes
The Stamping Boutique - use glitter (stickles, glitter pens, glimmer mist)
Fan-tastic Tuesday - anything goes that is square
Card Mania - use a sentiment

Ewe are SO Sweet!

Coffee of the Day - Moon Pie

Hello! More cool stuff to tell you about - I am back with the Pile it On Design Team again! it was so nice of everyone there to allow me to come back to the DT! the challenges are so much fun to play in, and y'all know I can't seem to keep away from challenges!

the challenge starting this week is called 'Lamb or Lion' and is sponsored by Jellypark, another one of my old teams! the idea is to use either a soft and sweet theme (lamb) or go bold and bright (lion). I kinda mixed them up a bit on my card. I chose a soft and sweet image from Jellypark, Ewe Are So Sweet, and then added bright colors.

papers are digital ones from the Echo Park Beautiful Life collection., gorgeous gilded rose is Prima. everything else is from my stash. I did add some faux stitching, 'cause y'all know I can't 'real' sew to save my life! flower centers are dotted with a pink spica glitter gel pen. the sentiment banner was sprayed with glimmer mist.

since I am adding this to the Top Tip Tuesday challenge, I will give you a little tip: when I went to add the sentiment banner, I decided it needed some extra dimension, so I wanted to pop it up on foam tape. the main image was already adhered with foam tape of its own. I wanted the banner to go to the edge of the card, and a little staple would be perfect. problem - I couldn't staple the banner to the card AND also use foam tape. soooooooo I stapled the banner FIRST, then added the foam tape. that's right, the banner is stapled to nothing at all. extra thick foam tape pieces are added to make it stand taller than the main image, but without really really really looking close, no one would ever know that it wasn't stapled right to the card!

Challenges:
Pile it On - Lamb (soft and sweet) or Lion (bold and bright)
Card Makin' Mamas - stack it up (more than 3 layers)
i {heart} sketches - sketch #55
Challenges and Candies - spring around the corner
Digitally Sweet - anything goes (papers, image, and sentiment are all digital)
Get Inky - buttons everywhere
Jo's Scrap Shack - florals
Simply Create Too - shop in your stash - all of these things are old stash
Aud Sentiments - sentiment for a girl
Cute Card Thursday - spring
Sweet Stampin' - cute
DRS Designs - button up
Little Miss Muffet - anything goes
Paper Shelter - animal
Word Art Wed - anything encouraging goes
Oldie but a Goodie - buttons (I think everything here is older than 6 months....)
Top Tip Tuesday - stitching (faux!)
Tuesday Throwdown - anything goes
Crafting by Designs - colors of spring
Catch the Bug - anything goes
613 Avenue Create - anything goes optional twist use old stash (everything here is old stash)
Outlawz Paper a la Mode - friends

Vintage Easter Bunny Tag Set

Coffee of the Day - Salted Caramel Pecan

I have fun news to announce to all of you today - I am on the brand new Doodle Garden Challenge Design Team! I am so excited, since I have long been a fan of Jennifer Nilsson's art. I have actual stamp sets going back a few years! ;)  You can not only find her cute digis in her Etsy store, but her stamps at My Favorite Things, Latina Crafter, and Sugar Pea Designs. She is one talented chica, and I am very honored to be part of this team! :)

Our first challenge is 'Anything Goes'. There are a few cutey freebies available on the site if you would like to use those to play along. We ALL love freebie images, but please do respect Jennifer and her art by not sharing these on other forums or with other crafters, but instead directing people back to the blog. thanks! :)

I used the adorable 'Billy Bubble Bunny' and 'Betsy Bubble Bunny' images for my tags.
tags were first watercolored using gelatos and then embossed across a portion with the SU! vine folder. papers and postage stamp stickers are from the Basic Grey Fresh Cut collection. I am so thankful to Basic Grey that I won this collection from them! what a happy  happy dance! it has such pretty colors and designs! :) the little bingo cards are from a vintage Milton Bradley game board image I found online. flowers on boy bunny tag are vintage and from girl bunny tag are Wild Orchid Designs.  her little heart is covered in rock candy distress stickles. some enamel dots and buttons were added to finish.

Please be sure to pop by to wish the rest of the team a big congratulations as well as see the pretty things they have made! I hope you will play along, too! :) enjoy your weekend!

Challenges:
Alphabet Ch - B is for buttons and bows
Challenges and Candies - spring around the corner
Crafty Catz - anything goes
Cute Card Thursday - spring
4 Crafty Girls - anything goes
Crafty Ribbons - ribbons and buttons
Milk Coffee - emboss it (hi to my old teamies!!!)
Little Red Wagon - spring
Allsorts - spring is coming
Paper Shelter - animal magic
Paper Pretties - try a new technique (playing with gelatos!)
TTCRD - anything goes
Craft My Life/All Crafts - anything but a card
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes/use flowers
Floral Fantasies 5th Anniv - fave item: buttons

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! :)