Sneak Peek #3 - Lucky's Whiteboard

Sneak Peek #3 features Lucky from the other new set CC Designs will be releasing on January 4th - Love Ya Much. Isn't he just... loveable??? This card actually started out as a 3x3 card, but it "needed something", so I mounted the whole card on a 4.25" square card, added some ribbon and pierced some holes, added a few brads and was satisfied. Lucky is colored, once again, with markers and watercolor pencils, then cut out and attached to the "floor" of the little room I made. I don't think I would personally enjoy a room with red walls... but it looks good on him!! :) The sign on the whiteboard is actually a combination of two different saying stamps. I just inked up the parts that I wanted with a marker. And, no, I didn't use my stamp-a-ma-jig... I just eyeballed it. {sheepish grin} Wouldn't this be a cute card to give a teacher??

Check back tomorrow for another one of my favorite cards with this set. It's so simple, but I love how it turned out!!

We interrupt these Sneak Peeks...

...for a Pink Penguin card. This is a feel good card for me. I just love the penguins. They are what made me SO excited about CC Designs!! This card is made with some of the new Bali Breeze designer paper from Stampin' Up!, my little penguin from CC Designs and the two new punches that I got for Christmas - the scallop circle and 1-3/8" circle, both from Stampin' Up. I colored him with markers and watercolor pencils, added a little glitter, popped him up for dimension and tied a bow. Isn't he sweet???? Here's the full view... the card size is 3"x6".

I made another card with a little penguin last night when I felt crummy, only he's not photographed yet. I'm feeling ok today... just not exactly right, if you know what I mean?? I think I have brain fog. See you tomorrow with a Sneak Peak of the other new set from CC Designs/All That Scraps. The 4th isn't that far away!! :)

Sneak Peak #2 1/2 - Lulu Lion

I'm starting to come down with the cold that my husband and daughter have. Uggh. So, just in case I feel too crummy to post tomorrow, I'll add Lulu Lion to my Sneak Peak list. Now, to be honest, Lulu Lion wasn't actually Lulu at all... I just added Lulu's markings in with my black marker so it would look like she was playing dress up! The card feels kind of bare to me since there isn't any ribbon on it - but that way I could even give it to my husband! :) I promise I'll use the lion as a lion one of these days - he's adorable! - but in the meantime you can check out all the cute cards made with him in the gallery over at All That Scraps.

My brain is getting fuzzy - so I'll just leave you with the details & go hibernate somewhere... Check back soon!!

Details: Stamps: Love Ya Lots (CC Designs); Cardstock: Rose Red, Caramel, Bali Breeze DP (SU), Mustard CS & DP (DCWV Mat Pack); Accessories: Markers, Dimensionals, Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch (SU); Watercolor Pencils (Staedtler); Mini Zigzag Scissors (Fiskars)

Sneak Peak # 2 - The Cow-Pig

OK - I just couldn't help myself. How about a cow???? Isn't he adorable? I used the pig stamp and used a q-tip with stamp cleaner to clean off the curly tail. I think I would clean off the very tip of his pointy ears in the future, too. Then I drew his tail in and gave him some spots, and Voila! A cow!! I think he's so sweet! If you were lurking the All That Scraps Gallery you've seen this card already... I just added a bow. It needed something!

Deb asked when these sets will be available at All That Scraps. Not too long now!! The release date is set for January 4th, and I'll have sneak peaks for you all week!! By the way - I haven't even gotten to the second set that's being released!! So much fun in store for you!!

Stop back tomorrow for one of the "mane" attractions!

Details: Stamps: Pig -Love Ya Lots (CC Designs), sentiment (handwritten); Cardstock: Pink, Chocolate Chip, Cocoa, Brocade DP (SU)
Accessories: Ribbon; Markers, SS Brads, Watercolor Crayons (SU); Wavy Scissors (Fiskars)

Sneak Peak #1

Sneak Peak #1 from the new Little Bitz kits by CC Designs/All That Scraps is.... Miss Piggy!! :) There's an adorable sentiment to go with this image, but I just couldn't make it fit on this card, so I opted out for the "hello" sentiment from TAC. I have four cards sitting on my desk that I've made already and there are still more images to play with. I'm in whimsical animal heaven!! :) One of the things that I love about these stamps is that you don't need to make terribly busy cards to use them. A simple card with clean lines sets off the image wonderfully... which is good, cuz I'm not really an elaborate type of person... I'll leave that to some of my fellow design team members! However, this set did start me thinking "out of the box"... but you'll have to come back tomorrow to see what I mean!! Heeheehee. Makes me chuckle just to think about it!!

Stamps: Love Ya Lots (CC Designs), Tag Tidbits (TAC), Paisley (SU); Dye Ink: Basic Black, Pretty in Pink, Rose Red (Stampin' Up!); Cardstock: Always Artichoke, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Blush Blossom (Stampin' Up!); Designer Paper: Bali Breeze (Stampin' Up!) Accessories: Soft Subtles Brads, Rose Red, Artichoke Markers, Dimensionals (SU), Stamping Sponge, Circle & Scalloped Circle Punch

What a Cutie!

Let me introduce you to Cutie Patootie. Isn't she sweet?? She's available right now from CC Designs/All That Scraps. I just adore these bugz! There's one stamp with a baby bug in a bathtub that will just *have* to be mine soon!! :) The card loosely follows this week's sketch on ASB, and uses my new designer paper from Stampin' Up... It's actually the same pack as the blue from yesterday. Isn't it pretty?? I'm really enjoying these colors, so I hope you don't get tired of seeing them! The sentiment is a sneak peek from one of the new sets that CC Designs will be unveiling soon. Oh - I have a lot of stamping to do!!!!! :)

This afternoon I'm going to humor myself and make a card or two with the penguin sets that I adore... then I'll work on some more sneak peaks for you. See you tomorrow!!

My Favorite Things and Happy Mail!

Happy day after Christmas!! We had a really wonderful day yesterday. We opened our stockings around 7:00 in the morning, then opened our presents before my husband's folks got here at 9:00 for breakfast. Then over to their house for more presents, back home for a quick bite to eat (and a nap for my husband!) and off to my parents' house for the infamous "grab box" and supper. We stayed and talked for awhile, then came home where the girls and I just sat and ate dessert and chatted, and the boys (my husband and son) went back to his folks for yet another meal. I really enjoyed being able to spend the evening relaxing at home. It made me feel like the image on the card... and, believe me, I have the candy stash now to make it happen!! LOL. The card uses some of my new designer paper from Stampin' Up that will come out in the new catalog in just a couple of weeks, and one of the My Favorite Things images that I got through the Wish RAK forum at SCS. I colored with my Prismacolors and Odorless Mineral Spirits. I really like the look that gives, but I think I would like a bigger box of Prismacolors to choose from!

Guess what came today in the mail!! Yup!! My new stamps from All That Scraps!!!! Oh, how very fun for me!! :) Penguins and bugs and Lucky and Lucy and a few new animals added to the menagarie that I'll hope to "Sneak Peak" for you soon. Be sure to check back often!!

So now, with Christmas behind me, I get to start thinking about next year... my hopes, dreams, and projects to accomplish. How fun! See you soon!!

The True Meaning of Christmas

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and, being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth -- and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father."

Philippians 2:5-11"


May you know the babe in the manger as your Saviour and Lord this Christmas. Have a blessed Christmas! I'll be back soon! :)

A link for you...

Hi all!

I was out finishing up my Christmas shopping today... picking up stocking stuffers and going to the grocery store, then going to church to practise for the Christmas musical program tomorrow morning. I was trying to put together a quick card for you... but apparently all my creative juices have leaked out for today. So, I'll just leave you with a link that brought tears to my eyes. This will definitely help you remember the real reason for the season!

Stamper's Dream

My First MFT Card

I just love this sentiment set Little Things from the TAC catalog. I knew it would be perfect with a number of the My Favorite Things images that I'd seen at All That Scraps, only I didn't have any yet! Wish RAK to the rescue! Thank you Kathy!!

My layers are Pumpkin Pie, Apricot Appeal stamped with the flower from SU's Time Well Spent, Mellow Moss, and then white stamped with the Sweet on You image. I colored the image with SU markers and watercolor pencils, and, no, the flowers on the sofa are not paper-pieced! :) The words are all part of the TAC set, and the squiggles and dots on the circles are from A Season of Joy. They actually go around the snowflake. I did try to redo it and center the words in the circle... but it kind of lost something. So I left it like it is... lazy and dreamy!

Hope you'll enjoy the "little things" today!

In Sympathy

A dear friend of ours just lost a premature baby girl who lived just 7 days. This image and saying from the TAC Hostess set seem to personify the testimony of the family. We can trust the God who loved us enough to give His only Son.

I inked up the tree with Brocade Blue and then used my Navy ink pad to ink around the edges. The white and blue swirlys are from the SU Season of Joy set. I pierced the little dots on the swirly on the sentiment layer to add depth.

On a lighter note, I saw the preview for the newest CC Designs releases this morning!! Oh how cute!! You will love them!! Hopefully I'll have a sneak peak to show you as a Christmas present!! :) Have a wonderful day!! (I just noticed that I ended every sentence in this paragraph with two exclamation points. Apparently, I'm excited! LOL)

See you tomorrow!

Fluffles!!

Have you seen Fluffles??? :) I've seen a few cards with these stamps on a couple of blogs and was thrilled beyond words when Heather sent me some stamped images!! :) The first card is for the Tuesday Stash Challenge on A Shade of Blue. We needed to use buttons on our card. I hardly ever use the buttons that I've stashed away. Why?? I'm not exactly sure, but I know that I like mini brads better. These seemed to work ok, though. I just threaded a piece of linen thread through them and attached them with double sided tape.

This second Fluffles is for the top of my Dad's Christmas gift. You just have to know him to understand how much he'll appreciate my sense of humor! And Dad, if you happen to be reading this - NO PEEKING!!!


Every year, I get him a special homemade Amish Chocolate-Covered Almond Krunch that melts in your mouth. Usually he opens it and then runs and hides it. :) The Fluffles saying just cracked me up. Hopefully Dad will enjoy it, too!!

On another note, I got my new Stampin' Up! catalog today. Very pretty. The things I really like are all the first level hostess sets!!! Anyone want to do a show? There's lots to choose from -- even 6x6 pads of Designer Paper! Very Fun!!

And -- drum roll, please -- I mailed my Christmas cards today... finally!! :) WooHoo!!!!! I'm so glad to have them out of the house! :)

See you tomorrow!

Guess What, Guess What, Guess What!!!!

I can finally tell you my big news!!!!! I've been asked to be on the CC Designs/All That Scraps Design Team for the next 4 months! :) Remember the little penguins and Lucky the puppy that I've been gushing about on and off for a month or two?? It's that design team. For four months I get to play with their stamps and make things to share with you! Isn't that exciting??? I'm SO thrilled.



Check out this post on Amy, our design team leader's, blog to find out who my fellow design team members will be. I can't wait to get my first stamps so I can start to create and share with you. I have ideas scampering around in my head as we speak!! :)

Merry Christmas to Me!!!

Today was one of those days. One of those, I woke up with a VERY sore back and could hardly walk, sort of days. I didn't do much this morning and it *finally* seemed to pop back into place after a nap this afternoon, and then look what I found waiting for me on the table when I woke up!!!!! :) It must be Christmas!!!!

The first package was Fluffles images from Heather on ASB. Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Just lots and lots of them. You'll see one of them tomorrow or the next day when I finish my Dad's Christmas present. It's hysterical!! :)

Then I got an envelope from Edee on SCS, with lots of Loads of Love images and from Kathy on SCS with my very first images from My Favorite Things. Here's that chocolate that I needed the other day! LOL

And I got a sweet Welcome RAK from Kitty for joining the WishRAK forum at SCS.

THEN.... I got this package from my dear friend Marisa with a sweet mitten card and some *wonderful* Angel Company stamps that I can't wait to use.

And to top it all off... I got the order from SU that my in-laws got for me for Christmas!! AND my first scallop circle Marvy punch came that I got on sale at JoAnn's. I'll use that to finish my Dad's present tonight. :)

I'm so, so thankful for the encouragement that this mail day brought. God is so good. Not only did He give us His Son, but He gives us special days of encouragement when everything is overwhelming. Wow. I feel loved. I can't wait to look for ways to "pay it forward."

Thank you to all my "mail angels" today. And be sure to stop back tomorrow!

I Should Be....

...Doing Something!!! Instead of sitting here at the computer! But what I want is c*h*o*c*o*l*a*t*e and a lot of it. :) I went to town this morning to get a Collie Webkinz for my daughter, since the store had said they were coming in this week. They apparently came in Tuesday and sold out last night. AAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!! (I need chocolate...)

Anyway - here's a card that I made with some of my new Daisy D paper from Gina's store. I even colored my little penguin with prismacolors and OMS. The little plaid flower (or whatever) behind the penguin is actually a diecut that came in the paper stack. Gina had SO many cute stacks there. (I need chocolate...) I really wanted the Basic Grey Figgy Pudding one, but it was very Christmas-y and Christmas is almost over. I actually had another one in my hand that was very springy. Maybe I'll go get that one after Christmas sometime.

Time to go do something constructive. (Like eat chocolate!) See you later!!

Oh, Did I Have Fun Today!!

Guess where I went today?????? To the open house at Gina K's new retail store in McFarland, WI!!! Oh, what a neat store! And Gina is so sweet. She had the back table full of cardstock and Basic Grey Figgy Pudding stacks and punches and stamps and ribbon, and just let us sit and create. I even got to try Prismacolors and Odorless Mineral Spirits (tradename Gamsol)!! Here's my first try. I bought the mineral spirits, but I have to wait to use them too much until I get the cool bottle that captures most of the smell. Unfortunately, it was twice as much as the mineral spirits!! I love the look that the technique gives. It's a softer feel than markers. However, that does not mean that I won't be trying the Copics if I can get my hands on them!!!!!

Gina's store is the perfect stamping store, in my humble opinion. There isn't so much stuff to look at that it is completely overwhelming, all your favorites are there... primas, Gina's stamp sets, brads, ribbon, scalloped punches, 6x6 pads of Basic Grey (& other!) designer paper, Bazzill, adhesive, alterables, etc., etc. The only problem I found was that I wanted one of everything!!! :)

Her classroom area is gorgeous. Well lighted, beautiful tables, a counter at just the right height to cut paper... even coffee & chocolate! (Well, at least the chocolate was there today!!)

So... if you're anywhere near Madison, WI anytime, be sure to stop in and tell Gina hi. Tell her that Tricia sent you!! :)

Holiday Birthday Cheer

Here's a quick and easy holiday birthday card with my Studio G stamps, and my Basic Grey paper... what's left of the one sheet I had! This card is sort of a strange size... It was another one of those scraps that I just folded in half. I really like it's look, though, and, if need be, I'll make it an envelope to fit.

I'm going to run to church. Sorry this is so short. My computer was acting up for quite awhile tonight. I think its better now.

Bye!

Gift Card Holder

I needed a gift card holder for my son's guitar teacher, so I combined a number of tutorials and this is what I came up with. The card is one of those scraps that you have that isn't quite big enough to be the base of a card. I think it measured 5 1/4" instead of 5 1/2". I'm not sure what the length was, but I just scored and folded it so the back was 4 1/4". The DP is Basic Grey - opposite side of the same sheet. I inked up the tree with Celery, Mustard and Chocolate Chip markers, and then went back to highlight it with Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Artichoke and a Stardust pen. Rather than make a pocket on the inside, I just attached the gift card with mini glue dots. Then, I punched the card with my slit punch, and used the slit to keep it closed.

Here's a picture of the inside...

It's snowy and icy here today. Hopefully it won't get too nasty, since my husband was going to take me out tonight!! Oh well, if all else fails I can drink hot chocolate and watch a Christmas movie -- as long as we still have power! :)

Enjoy your day!!

Two Step Challenge

It's time for the ASB Stash Challenge Preview for this week. Remember, anyone can play! You can link me to your creation in the comments, or join us over at A Shade of Blue. We'd love to have you!!

Our stash challenge for this week is a two part challenge.

First - Find a neglected Two-Step stamping type image... and Second - Pull out your markers.

I've been coloring everything lately. So I made myself pull out a quick and easy two-step image to use, and then added a little extra color to it with my markers. For example, on the flower petals I used a lighter color marker first, then added highlights with a darker marker before spritzing with water and stamping.

Here's the details...

Stamps - Stampin' Up!

Ink - Stampin' Up! Markers

Cardstock - SU Eggplant, Bazzill Orchid, DP of unknown origin :)

Misc - Staples

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope you'll join us!! :)

Celebrate Everything!

This has been quite a week for me! At the beginning of the week, a dear friend made my day be telling me she was sending a few TAC stamp sets my way. On Wednesday, I was asked to join the Stamping Design Team at A Shade of Blue. (I'm so excited!) Yesterday, along with another surprise to celebrate that I can't share with you just yet, my LSS expressed interest in having me teach some stamping related classes in January. AND, to top it all off, I've had a great response to the monthly card kit. (If any of you are still interested, be sure to let me know right away!!) I'm going to be busy over the next few days, filling orders, catching up with Wish RAK promises and playing with new stamps - along with getting Christmas cards ready to mail and mailing out a few packages... Whew! My head is spinning just thinking about it!! I think ordering next year's planner pages is moving to the top of my To Do list!! :)

Speaking of planners... what kind do you use?? I love the Franklin Covey pages - especially the Monarch size (8 1/2 x 11) - but each year I waffle between the large size and the next one down. Or... maybe I should try the wire bound system?? I also love the Beautiful Life Management System by Graceworks, but the lines are farther apart than Franklin Covey, and I seem to need the extra space to plan my day. I'd love to hear your comments!!

Anyway - in light of this week of huge, undeserved blessings from the Lord, I picked up the little Whipper Snapper sentiment at my LSS with my monthly coupon. "Until further notice, celebrate everything!!" :)

Have a great day!!

ps... The card is pretty self-explanatory, but if you need details, feel free to email me!! :)

December's Card Kit

How about a peek at the December Card Kit?? It's filled with pictures, instructions, precut cardstock, accessories and envelopes to make this adorable penguin notecard folio, 2 - 4.25" x 5.5" cards and 1 - 4.25" square card. I'll even include a Stardust clear glitter gel pen and prestamp all the images as a Christmas gift from me! All for only $10 plus $2 shipping ($5 shipping outside the US). This would make an adorable Christmas present!

For this card kit you will need to supply adhesive, coloring tools, and something to punch holes for brads & eyelets, as well as tools or a crop-a-dile to set the eyelets. Here's my "add on" list if you'd like your cards to look "just like mine". Feel free to let me know if you'd like to add any of these to your kit!

1/16th inch circle hole punch for brads (Can use paper piercer or large needle)
1/8th inch circle hole punch for eyelets
1/4 inch or horizontal slot punch for folio
Crop-A-Dile or Eyelet Tool Kit to set eyelets
Watercolor brush
Stampin Write Markers - Banana, Pretty in Pink, Going Grey, Bashful Blue, Apricot, Pixie Pink, So Saffron
Watercolor Pencils or Prismacolors
Soft Subtles Watercolor Crayons

Here's the inside of the portfolio...

You can email me to place your order for any number of kits by clicking on View my Complete Profile under my picture and then email on the next screen. I am only accepting Paypal payments at this time. I will try my hardest to ship within a week of receiving your order, barring any product backorders.

Thanks for looking! I'm going to leave this post up until Saturday, so check back then to see what I've been up to! :)

Old Truck

A friend from ASB sent me a few IRAK's of this Old Truck from TAC (which is being retired shortly, I might add). I love the image because it's one my husband actually commented on! :) The image is colored with SU markers, watercolor pencils and SU Watercolor Wonder Crayons. The background is Flannel and the "Just Because" is from my old LSS - Endless Creations in Green Bay, WI. They had a whole line of stamps with this font that I just love!! Everything is pretty straightforward. And look, I even put a ribbon on a guy card!! :)

Thanks for the interest in the monthly card kits. I'll be thinking about it and post the first one and the details soon. Are you all interested in Stampin' Up only, or other companies as well??

Be sure to check back soon. I have some news to share that I'm very excited about!! :)

Stashed Spots

After digging through my stash for tomorrow's Stash Challenge over at ASB, I came up with this patterned vellum. Spots seem to be all the rage right now, so I used that sheet to put together this little thank you with the adorable puppy from a retired SU set and the southwestern corner punch that was all the rage a year or so ago. I even pulled out my eyelets, which I hardly ever use anymore since I don't have a crop-a-dile and still have to pound to set them. (I'm not sure my neighbors on the other side of the wall appreciate eyelets much!!) After drawing a floor under the puppy with a grey marker, I colored him with SU markers and watercolor pencils, and then I scribbled my bashful blue marker on a cd case and used it to watercolor in some sky.

Hop on over to ASB tomorrow and play along with the stash challenge! Or, feel free to link to your creation using vellum (any kind will work!!) here in the comments.

Oh - and don't forget to vote on the poll if you're interested one way or another. It will be closed tomorrow!

Pretty Simple Card

Do you know, I have never made a 3" x 6" card before! I was browsing through some sketches that were on my desk and found this one that looked perfect for the little heart image I had watercolored the other day. What a fun, simple card. Take a piece of 6" x 6" cardstock and fold in half for your card base, then layer as desired! :) The little blue strip is actually a scrap from a background that I had stamped sometime. I found it in a corner of my desk drawer. :) The pretty orchid textured cardstock is from TAC.

Have you seen the new sets by CC Designs?? I love them!! I am seriously thinking about asking my husband for one of the sets with penguins in it for Christmas. Too cute!! :)

We had Christmas with a dear friend this weekend. It was such a treat. None of the Christmas stress - with all of the joy. She's one of those friends that you don't have to make special meals for, or go out of your way to entertain, *and* it was her turn to bring chocolate!! We have a silly Tigger tin that we fill with candy and swap each time we see each other. Mmmmmm.....
She gave me a new book of hymn arrangements to play for church and I can't wait to work on them!! Now, this week, I need to work on getting Christmas cards ready and Christmas letters and pictures printed.

Have you voted yet?? Only a day or two left!

Pull Ups

I found this double pull-up card in an old Stampin' Up! demonstrator magazine, and decided to try it. It really wasn't hard at all, but it took me *forever* because there were no dimensions given. And do I have dimensions for you... ummm... no. {sheepish grin} Maybe that will have to be one of our projects for a class in a box! :)

Today is my daughter's birthday. She spent part of her birthday money on Webkins. We were glad that the gal at the store didn't ask how old she was. She said she'd tell them she was a "really old 5". :) Too funny.

Have a wonderful day!

Quote for Today...

Sorry no pictures today - I've been busy putting up Christmas decorations and getting ready for my DD's birthday tomorrow. BUT... I have a quote for you from a bumper sticker we saw today. It made me laugh out loud!!

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,

For you are crunchy,

and good with ketchup.

HeeHee!! Have a good day! And don't forget to vote in my poll. Hopefully, I'll have time to make something after the Packer game tonight!!

Take 5 Ladybug

I just had to try this fun "Take 5" challenge from ASB (maybe because Take 5 sounds like candy??). We were only allowed to use a circle cutter, colored pencils, colored cardstock, a scallop scissor, and a versamark pad. A neutral cardstock and black ink were a "given". I stamped a flower GWP from TAC over my black and red background cardstocks... hard to see in the picture - pretty in real life. My ladybug was another GWP and is colored with Prismacolors. I even did the dots and faux stitching on the scallop with prismacolor! :) Very, very fun challenge! Try it!

Daily...

I picked up some of these dimensional Mary Engelbreit stickers a while ago... ok - a long time ago... at Michaels, thinking I'd use them for something. What better to use them on then little
3 x 3 notecards! :) Sometimes I think that not stamping on a card is "cheating". I get stuck in a rut that there is only one way to make a card. How silly!! Be creative!! Do you have a sticker stash somewhere?? Or maybe some old calendar pictures?? Pull them out and make a card. I dare you! :)

Birthday Ellie

This week is my daughter's 17th birthday. I can't believe it. Should I feel old?? Anyway - this isn't for her... this bright and cheery card is actually for a blog challenge over at Simply Fairies. You'll notice there is no designer paper on this card - GASP! The elephant is from a TAC stamp of the month set called Stand Tall and the greeting is handwritten. Colors? Turquoise, Rose Red, Apricot and Green Galore. If you click on the picture you can probably see the glitter on Ellie's hat. Fun, fun, fun!!!

Have a lovely day!

Do Not Open til Christmas

In honor of "Black Friday"... isn't that a horrible name???... I made this Do Not Open til Christmas card out of one of my $1 stamps from Michaels. There's DP from the Holiday Thyme and Brocade packs, and the Chocolate piece is stamped with Linen.

I don't need to do much shopping today - except maybe for some groceries. I think my Christmas shopping is all done!!!! :) Yippee!! My dd and I are planning on going to Starbucks for a Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha Frappe. Mmmmmmm.... Then we'll maybe hit the mall to see about some long sleeve shirts for her. Kohls should have some good sales this morning. If all else fails we'll go to Goodwill. Come to think of it, maybe we'll go there first! :)

Inspired by Pink

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the different takes on the SCS challenge to the current and former DD members to use the Elzybell image and pink to make a card. So when I found this sketch challenge on Lynn's blog yesterday, I decided to use the little girl image and pink as my springboard. Of course, they weren't supposed to use any patterned paper, either. However, my card is loaded with it! :) The patterned paper is from Daisy Bucket, Celery and Rose Red cardstock is SU. The little girl is stamped on a scrap of watercolor paper and colored with SU markers and watercolor pencils. Ribbon is Vanilla Taffeta - which I just love.

Have a wonderful, wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow!

Just Ugly

Have you ever had one of those days?? Awhile back - on the quilting shop hop - I had picked up a little quilt kit in this bucket (undecorated, of course). I decided that I would make up the little quilt for my sister in law for Christmas. Only, they won't be here at Christmas; I needed to have it done by Thursday. Being the good little girl that I am, I worked on it yesterday and started quilting it today (it was really little... maybe 10 1/2" x 10 1/2") and it turned out ugly. Arrrrrgggggghhhhhh!!!!! Nothing I could give as a gift. The colors in the kit weren't the same as in the picture... or I didn't do the quilting right, or something. Soooooooo.... now what??? Well, my 15 yo dd pipes up, "Well, at least you liked the pail." Ah Hah!! The pail! I used some more of my trusty Brocade paper pack to cover it, and made four 3 x 3 cards for the inside, as well as a little notebook. I need to get an RSVP pen, too. The cards are actually all different, but this was the one I liked the best.

Hey, speaking of paper, is there anyone else out there who would like to take part in the Stampin' Up! Paper special this month, but can't spend $30 plus shipping to do it?? I was thinking it would be fun to get a bunch of the packs and cut them into 6 x 6 sheets. That way we could get a great sampling for a lot less money, and the 6 x 6 size is great for card making or small scrapbooks! Anyone interested?? We could split it 4 ways for only $10 each (The extra $ is for shipping & an envelope). Email me with your favorite 2 packs if you're interested and I'll get back to you. I'll do more than one group if there's enough interest!!

ps... Don't forget the mulberry challenge! Head over to Janine's blog to see an amazing mulberry flower!!

Mulberry Paper??

Do you remember Mulberry Paper?? It was all the rage a number of years ago when I started stamping. In fact, this is one of the first cards that I had my customers do at a workshop.... and I still love it!! :) Besides the layers of mulberry paper, it uses the retired Elegant Greetings set, which is one of my favorites, and this beautiful Narcissus which we colored with pastels. The flowers are sprinkled with DD glitter IRL... so elegant and pretty!!

So... do you have any mulberry paper hiding away?? If you decide to use it on a card, please let me know, I'd love to come be inspired! (I may toss a RAK your way, too!!)

Have a great day!

Warm Birthday Wishes

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. Time just got away from me. I actually applied for a job at the local chiropractor's office. It's a 12 hour a week position, so I could do it, still homeschool (since my kids are teens and can do most of their work independently on the 3 mornings I'd be gone), and it would just maybe give us a little extra after paying the bills. Or at least it would give us enough to pay the house payment and the rent if our house doesn't sell soon. If you think of it, please pray that if it's the Lord's will and would be best for our family, that I'll get the job. We really didn't want me to have to work, but I can see this as being a perfect fit... and I'd been praying about how to meet the extra expenses we have right now. Enough about me!! Let's talk stamping!! :)

Tomorrow is my mother-in-law's birthday, so I put together a little (uh-hmmm.....) low cost present for her. I found these adorable mini loaf pans at Target for a VERY reasonable price (think Studio G stamps...), filled it with a prebaked loaf of Becky Higgins' Banana Chocolate Chip Bread (Post from Sept 25, I think), and tied it up with a ribbon and a tag. I also have a mini cello bag of Buttered Popcorn Jelly Bellies, topped with a matching tag. I already gave her the bread when it was fresh. I'll keep the Jelly Bellies until her birthday.

Today I get to go with my MIL and my oldest daughter to the big annual craft fair in our area. This is where I get my Dad's Christmas present every year... Amish made chocolate covered almond crunch. Mmmmmm..... I'm only bringing along enough money to buy the candy and NO MORE! This is going to be painful...

Gotta scoot. See you later!

Anniversary Bears

Today's been busy. I have all the Christmas presents that I've already bought laid out upstairs in my room ready to be wrapped. I went to McDonald's for breakfast with the ladies from church and brought along an assortment of cards so they could each choose one. I dropped off some $$ for my husband to get gas on the way home. I did the dishes, made lunch and then got to sit down and blurf and upload some creations to the ASB gallery, including this card for this week's Sketch Challenge.

I stamped my image in black and colored it with watercolor pencils and markers, matted it with a scalloped piece of River Rock and layered it onto some pieces of Daisy D and SU designer paper. The sentiment is a $1 stamp from Michaels and the ribbon is a piece of Vanilla Taffeta. Nothing fancy!

Back to wrapping Christmas presents! See you tomorrow!

The Scenic Route

The fun colors of today's card are courtesy of the Color Challenge over at ASB. I stamped my Snail (from a retiring TAC baby set) on watercolor paper today and used my watercolor pencils and a wet brush to color it in. I used layers of colors in the sky so it kind of ended up looking like a sunset.... Awwwwww....!

The sentiment is from the TAC set Abundance Is and is inked with markers. The zigzag stitching is a stamp. Speaking of TAC, have you heard about their $50 surprise boxes?? They sound wonderful. I found some pictures of them on Annette's site here. WOW!

I'm on my way out the door to Prayer Meeting, so I'm leaving it short and sweet tonight. Have a great evening!

The Un-Favorite Color

Do you have an "un-favorite" color? You know, the one you bought because "It would be great for...." but then you just couldn't make it work?? Well, I had a 12 x 12 sheet of this apricot textured cs that I got from TAC. It's really pretty - but I just couldn't *do* anything with it. So, my goal for today was to make it go away!! :) hehehehe. I used Heartfelt Thanks for the flower and one of my new Studio G $1 stamp sets from Michael's, some Celery DP, lots of brads, a little paper piercing around the sentiment and some pink polka dot ribbon that I'd picked up at the stamping store for another project that hasn't happened yet. :) Nothing too out of the ordinary, but two more cards done and only enough apricot left to put in my scraps!! :)

How are you doing on yesterday's challenge?? I posted late, so if you didn't see it, please scroll down and join us!! :)

Have a happy Tuesday!!

Studio G Scraps

Hello everyone! Did you have a good weekend?? I did. It was fun and relaxing. My daughter and I went Christmas shopping on Saturday and after church on Sunday I was able to spend some time cross-stitching. Ahhh...

Today I'm going to give you a headstart on the Stash Challenge which hopefully I'll be posting tomorrow on ASB. I won't always do this, of course, but you all are *special* cuz you read my blog!! :) If you actually do the challenge and post it to the gallery on ASB, you'll be in a drawing to receive a RAK from me! Be sure to let me know that you played!! :)

So... here's the challenge. Go through your scrap colored cardstock and find a piece big enough to be the base of a card. This piece of lilac wasn't *quite* big enough, so I made my card 4.25" x 4.25". You can even make a 3x3 card if you want! This base piece will help determine your color choices for the card. Now - use scraps to complete the card. You can cut the scraps down if you need to, but no cutting into full sheets of cardstock for this particular challenge... That will come later, I promise!!

Since my cardstock was Lilac, I chose to use up some of my Palette of Prints designer paper scraps, and make a card with my new $1 Studio G stamp set from Michaels. I love those sets and Michaels had a lot of new ones out!!! :) Just remember to rub them with an eraser before you stamp. They hold the ink better. :)

Gotta run make supper. Have fun in your stash!

Shade of Blue Challenges

I tried to meet a couple different Shade of Blue challenges with this card... First - I had to use Rhinestones (mine's a stick on one on the star) and second, I had to use the following colors... Olive, Cranberry, Yellow, and Blue. The colors aren't quite as loud as they appear in this picture... it's actually a pretty card! :)

On the challenge note, I've joined the challenge team for A Shade of Blue! Which is, for those of you who aren't familiar with ASB, a smaller version of Splitcoast. :) You'll have to check us out! I'm not sure which day I'll be posting my challenges yet, but they will all be centered around using up our STASH. Do you have a stash??? I think we all do. Papers that come in a 24 pack, designer paper that we can't bear to use, which then is retired and we buy more to hoard.... hardware, ribbons, items to alter or to make into gifts, etc., etc., etc. Each week I'll try to "enable" you (and me!) to actually use some of these products that we just had to have!! Sounds fun doesn't it??!! So, head on over to ASB so you'll be all ready to join in the fun.

See you there!

Christmas Thanks

This card started out as a SCS sketch, but then it took on a life of it's own!! :) I just couldn't make the sketch work. This is one of my favorite sets - Night Before Christmas. I colored the image with... guess what?? Markers and watercolor pencils!! :) (good guess!) I just love the shading I can get with those! The DP is retired Stampin' Up... Oh - did I mention that if you buy 3 packs of Stampin' Up Designer Paper right now, you get the fourth pack free??? I really, really would like to take them up on that offer!! Let's see, more details... the brads are the last antique ones from my Vintage Brads - need more of those, too... and the ribbon is from my local stamp store. The little saying is part of a stamp I've had around for ages. And old sell-a-bration one, I think.

NOW... what you really came for!! BLOG CANDY WINNERS!!

According to Random.Org the winner of the Stampin' Candy is...

Jennifer!!

And the winner of the Table Runner is...

Thinker!!

Thank you all so much for stopping by - for your comments - for your friendship! Be sure to email me with your addresses, so I can send your candy out, gals. :)

AND ONE LAST THING...

It's my husband's birthday today! For the last few years I've been trying to write poems to put in his cards. Birthday, Christmas, Valentines, etc... Here's the poem for today. Maybe you can make some changes and use it for someone's birthday coming up!

You're 45 this day of days,

In dog years you'd be dead.

I'm glad you're here, though, even if

You tend to snore in bed.

Our lives take many twists and turns -

Some great, some good, some not.

The road we're on is never dull,

Whether we like it or not.

Thank you for spending your life with me,

For working so hard to take care.

I love you, appreciate you, not just today -

But every day of the year.

Happy Birthday! :)

Obviously we have a great relationship... or I wouldn't be teasing him in his birthday card!! :)

Have a great day!!

Snow in the Forecast!

We actually have snow in the forecast for tonight!! Yippee!! I love snow! In fact, the first day that it *really* snows, we always take the day off school. Just a dusting doesn't count, but it does call for hot chocolate or spiced cider!!

Here's another very, very simple snowflake card with my Simple Delights set. It uses Soft Sky and Vanilla and some ribbon I found at the Target $1 spot. :)

Have you signed up for the blog candy yet??? Time is ticking! I'll draw tomorrow morning when I get up. Have a good night!

Don't Forget the Candy!!

Hello all! Thanks for all the comments on the blog candy so far! I'm so honored to know that I'm actually on some people's *favorites* list and that a lot of you visit daily. That's great!! It makes it so much more fun to know there are people watching!! :) If you missed yesterday's post on the blog candy be sure to sign up! Just click here for the details. Oh - and I did finish the table runner. My daughters' and I can't believe that I'm going to give it away. It turned out so cute!!


My first card today is fairly self-explanatory. I used the CPS Sketch Challenge for the week. Let me just say that I inked the treble clef in Old Olive, but stamped it off twice before stamping it under the words. I didn't want it to be overwhelming.

This card uses one of Angel's sketches. I'm so sad that there won't be any more, since tomorrow is her birthday. Happy Birthday, Angel!!!! I used heat embossing on this card... but I also used my markers and classic ink. How? I stamped on Glossy cardstock! The clear ep really gave a stunning texture and sheen to the images. The BG paper is Basic Grey Fruitcake, the red cardstock is actually Ruby Red, and the Green is Bazzill.

OK - just one more for today - and even though it's a simple card it's one of my favorites.

"I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and fortress; my God; in Him will I trust." I am SO thankful for the love and sacrifice of Christ for me. He is my God, my Saviour, my Shepherd and my King, and he loves me!! Isn't that incredible??

The background of the card is stamped with the Flannel BG stamp by Stampin Up. Then I went back and added straight lines with my ruler and little dots for nails. (Although if you look closely they kind of look like little alien faces! ) The colors are Old Olive and Ballet Blue. Image by Art Impressions.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Blog Candy Deluxe

It's here! Not one but two drawings for blog candy!! You can sign up for one or the other, or both if you'd like! :) Drawing #1 will be for some ribbon, a set of clear stamps that I'm passing on from some blog candy I received a while back, and a set of Christmas tags with a topper that I made - inspired by this post here.

The second drawing is kind of odd for a stamping blog, but a number of you commented on the quilts I posted, so I decided to whip up a Christmas-y table runner to share with one lucky winner. Here are some pictures... Sorry that the binding isn't on yet. I'll work on that after I do the dishes! :) The size is approx. 15 x 30.

Here's a picture of the whole runner...

And here's a close up of one of the blocks, so you can get a better idea of the colors.

So... to enter, you need to do the following... scroll back through some of my posts and tell me which card you liked best. I'd also be interested in knowing how often you visit (I promise I won't throw out your name if you tell me that you only come for blog candy... I'd just like to get a feel for who's out there! ) You also need to let me know if you're interested in drawing #1, drawing #2 or both! (Shew! That's a lot, huh??)

I'll post the winner on Thursday, November 8th... cuz it's my husband's birthday. And, yes, I did get him a present, too!! :)

Thanks for reading! Now go browse!! :)

PS... If you really want a table runner, but aren't sure that you'll win, drop me a line! The cost would be $22 + shipping, and you could pick your colors. These make great gifts!! :)

Blog Candy Coming Soon!!

I made this cute little box for the My Favorite Things party on SCS the other night. The challenge was to make a 3 x 3 box... in an hour. You can find the tutorial here. I filled the box with 3 x 3 cards with uncolored penguins mounted on them. I'll include some envelopes and colored pencils and send them to my niece for Christmas.

I noticed that my counter is getting *very* close to 1,000... in just two weeks! WooHoo!! There actually *are* people that read my blog!! Well - tell your friends - I'll be posting blog candy in the next day or two. I need to figure out just what to send!

Remember when I said that my daughter had won the grand prize at the Quilting Shop Hop?? Here's her first attempt at quilting. Didn't she do a good job??

And here's what I've been working on! I can't believe it's finally finished. It's absolutely huge! Well - not really, but it was made out of flannel - so it was big and bulky and really hard to fit through my little machine to quilt. My son loves it, though, and it's going to be really *warm* for winter!!