The Buzz

2012 Christmas Card Challenge Week #9

2012-02-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends! I decided to play along with the wonderful gals over at Sparkle's Christmas Card Challenges Blog. This week the challenge is to use your favorite technique. Great challenge, right? I like using my Copic markers, I like to emboss and paper piece, but there is something that I LOVE to do to all my cards and that is add sparkle! I love glitter and rhinestones and jewels. If it sparkles and shimmers, I'm a happy girl! Here is my card.

Click to enlarge.

supplies~

stamp set: Special Wishes(Hero Arts)

patterned paper: Mistletoe Collection (Memory Box)

card stock: Fresh Asparagus, Ivory(GinaK Designs)

ink: Antique Linen Distress Ink(Ranger)

glitter: Kiwi Green(Jewel Glitter Ritz)

other: Essentials Glue Pad(Tsukineko) Copic markers Ribbon from my stash Tiny Twinkles(Taylored Expressions) corner rounder:EK Success

Now here is a close-up for you...

Just look at that SPARKLE!! I used a product called Glitter Ritz...this stuff is fabulous. It's a burnished glitter product. It gives all that shine and once it's stuck down it does not move. The application of the product is very simple. I used the Essentials Glue Pad, and stamped the image onto my card stock. After letting the glue become tacky, I spooned on a very small amount of the Glitter Ritz, then using my finger, I rubbed the glitter into the glue. Then I brushed off the excess and there you have it! A little goes a looooong way with this glitter. I stamped the poinsettias onto card stock, colored them with Copic markers and cut them out. I added a few twinkles to the centers and adhered them to the wreath with foam tape. Pretty. Simple.

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a great Wednesday...

Blessings~

With Sympathy

2012-01-30T15:55:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone! Did you all have nice weekends? Mine was quiet, did a lot of resting and reading. I am feeling much better and now it’s catch up time! All the things that went undone while I was sick are now screaming for my attention. But I did want to pop in and share a card with you today. I don’t know about you, but sympathy cards are difficult for me. What colors? What images? What is too much? What is too simple? But, I needed one this weekend and this is what I came up with. I used the With Sympathy stamp set from Papertrey Ink. It’s a great set with a lot of nice, comforting sentiments.

Supplies ~

Stamp set: With Sympathy, Out on a Limb Sentiments (Papertrey Ink)

Card stock: Vanilla Cream, Garden Green, Colonial White (Close to My Heart)

Ink: Memento Bamboo Leaves, Cantalope(Tsukineko) Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate(Tsukineko) Hollyhock(CTMH)

Ribbon: Garden Green Organdy(CTMH)

Vellum: Michael’s

Pearls: Recollections(Michael’s)

Not too bad, huh? I made a few of them since I had everything arranged already on my stamp press. I created the butterfly by rubbing an ink pad onto vellum, letting it dry and then punching it with the butterfly punch. I like the light airy look of vellum and I thought it was perfect for this butterfly. I glued two of them together to add some dimension. This is how I finished off the inside.

It's a card for a male church member who lost his mother. I just didn't know what to do with it. So I kept it simple and used a neutral color palette.

Well, that's all I have for now. Thank you for dropping in today. I appreciate the visit...

Blessings~

Makeover Monday Challenge #11

2012-01-25T20:22:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends! Happy Wednesday! It's going to be a short post...I'm still not feeling all that well. Today I am sharing the card I created for the MMC's presented by Paper Crafter's Library. You can read more about the challenges by clicking HERE. I chose to make another Valentine.

supplies~

stamp set: Out on a Limb Sentiments(Papertrey Ink)

card stock: Cryogen White(Papertemptress) Real Red, Pretty in Pink(Stampin' Up!)

patterned paper: Love Me Collection(My Mind's Eye)

ink: Hollyhock, Blush(Close to My Heart) Memento Angel Pink(Tsukineko)

other: Deckle Edge Nestabilities(Spellbinders) Heart Stick Pins(Maya Road) Pearls(Mark Richards) Ribbon(MemrieMare Etsy) Mini Rolled Roses Die-Namics(My Favorite Things) Pure Poppy felt(Papertrey Ink)

This one came together pretty quickly. I made the little rose you see there. I used a die to cut the felt and then rolled it! I've been waiting to use it and I thought this card was just perfect for it. Okay...I'm off to rest some more.

Thank you for visiting today!

Blessings~

Snow Day!

2012-01-23T19:59:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends! Can you believe that January is almost over?! Whooooosh! It just zipped right by! I had plans to make lots of winter themed cards for this month and I don't think I made even one! LOL! Well today, I'm changing that. The card I am sharing is called Snow Day, featuring a digital image by the same name, from Mo's Digital Pencil.

click to enlarge.

supplies~

digital image: Snow Day(Mo's Digital Pencil 2)

card stock: Cryogen White(PaperTempress) White(Georgia Pacific) Spring Rain(Papertrey Ink) Bordering Blue(Stampin' Up!)

patterned paper: Snowmen(Echo Park)

ink: Memento Summer Sky, Blue Danube(Tsukineko)

other: Polar White Flower Soft Copic Markers Lacey Circles Nestabilities(Spellbinders) Snowflake Punch(Martha Stewart Crafts) Coarse Glitter(Martha Stewart Crafts) Crystal Stickers(Michael's) Crystal Ice Stickles(Ranger) Spring Rain Swiss Dot ribbon(Papertrey Ink)

Isn't she just the cutest thing? So much joy on that little face! I printed her onto Cryogen White card stock and colored her with Copic markers. I've been focusing on clean and simple cards for two weeks and I really NEEDED to color something! I used Lacey Circles Nesties to cut her out. She is mounted on dimensional adhesive. I used a Martha Stewart punch for the snowflakes and I covered them in MS coarse glitter to make them sparkle.

I used flower soft for her jacket fur. I thought that Liquid Applique would look too stiff and I don't have any Fun Flock. I think the flower soft worked out just fine.

I hope your week is off to a fantastic start. I'm a little under the weather, but nothing too serious. I'm having lots of tea and I made a big pot of chicken soup. I should be back to normal real soon. Have a great day!

Blessings~

Be Mine Card and SOC Give-away Winner

2012-01-21T00:01:00.001-08:00

Hello All! I hope you are enjoying your weekend. I popped in today to share a few things...

I have yet another Valentine to show you. I don't usually CASE other card maker's work, but when I saw THIS card on Kristina Werner's blog, I had to make one just like it. I had the same patterned paper in my stash, so I whipped it out and whipped this up! It was SUPER easy and oh so cute!

It's a pocket card! The card is inside. She created this little envelope sleeve and the card slides inside it. Sooo clever!

supplies~

stamp set: Heart Prints(Papertrey Ink)

card stock: Dear Valentine Kraft 12X12 With Love Collection Paper(Pebbles) Kraft(Papertrey Ink)

ink: Versamark(Tsukineko) Real Red(Stampin' Up!)

Zing white embossing powder(American Crafts) baker's twine and red glitter(Martha Stewart Crafts) heart punch(Marvy) circle punch(Stampin' Up!) corner rounder(EK Success)

I made a Valentine, but this type of card could be used for any occasion. I'm really smitten with that envelope sleeve! I think it's adorable and it really was soooo easy to make. After I created the sleeve, I cut the little bird and the word bubble out of the patterned paper. I stamped Be Mine in Versamark and heat embossed it. I used a circle punch to punch a notch out of the sleeve. Then I added some glitter to the tiny red heart. Next, I tied on some baker's twine and adhered all the cut-outs with dimensional adhesive. For the inside card, I glued on the strip of XOXO's, tied on baker's twine, added a heart stamped in red on Kraft, rounded the corners and I was finished. Fun! Fun! Fun! Cute! Cute! Cute! I will definitely make more cards like this.

The Winner of the Scraps of Color Give-Away is.....

KAREN!

KAREN: Jan 19, 2012 02:09 PM

"Love the food journals! I lost 68 pounds the last time I kept one. However, it was not nearly as nice as those. My resolutions all revolve around one word "NOURISH". This year, I want to nourish myself - body, mind, and soul. I want to nourish others. I want to nourish my faith. So, I have to put things in my body that nourish it, read and learn things to nourish my mind and pray and read the Bible to nourish my soul. I need to act and say things that nourish others. So, those are my resolutions."

Congratulations Karen! Please e-mail me at thebuzzfrombarb@yahoo.com to claim your prize!

Thank you for dropping by today! I appreciate it!

Blessings~

Makeover Monday Challenge #10

2012-01-20T09:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! I'm sharing the card I created for the MMC given by Paper Crafter's Library. You can read all about the challenge HERE. I used one of the panels from this12 x 12 sheet of adorable images from Jillibean Soup. It's printed on a heavy weight, very pretty chocolate speckled Kraft card stock. Take a look...

Source: twopeasinabucket.com via Barbara on Pinterest

Pretty cute, huh? I ordered all of my Valentine's goodies during Black Friday/Cyber Monday, I think I paid 69 cents for this sheet! Anyway...onto the card.

supplies~

card stock: Hearty Barley Beef Broth(Jillibean Soup) Pretty In Pink, Real Red(Stampin' Up!) Kraft(GinaK Designs)

Maraschino Bakers Twine(The Twinery) Sweet Blush, Scarlet Jewel buttons(Papertrey Ink) Playground green button(Stampin' Up!)

It came together very quickly, as there is no stamping on this one. I used my Fiskars Texture plates for the heart studded background. Then I adhered the focal panel down, added some buttons and Baker's Twine and I was finished. If I wanted to dress it up, I could have used Stickles on the hearts to add some sparkle, but I think I'm going to send this one to my brother...probably best to send it sans sparkle.

I hope each of you plans to see Red Tails this weekend. Some of you may know the story of the Tuskegee Airmen is near to my heart, since my Uncle Luther was one of them. You can see my scrap book page tribute to him HERE. It's a good story, I can't endorse the film, because I have not seen it yet. But, it's a George Lucas Production and he did a pretty good job with a little saga called Star Wars, so I think this movie will be alright, too. :) Whatever your plans...have fun, be safe and take some time out to do something beautiful for YOURSELF. Thanks for dropping in today.

Blessings~

Thinking of You..

2012-01-19T13:37:00.000-08:00

Hey there! I got a little side-tracked with the girls being sick, but they are feeling better and that leaves me with time to play in my studio. The CAS class is still in session, so the card I am sharing today is one I created for that. The lesson here is Plainly White cards. Yeah. That's what I said, too. But I watched the class video and looked at the samples and here is my take on making a card that is mainly white.

Click to enlarge.

supplies~

stamp sets: Cocoa Bean Butterfly(Memory Box) Vintage Picnic Sentiments(Papertrey Ink) Little Lady(Papertrey Ink)

card stock: White Layering Weight(GinaK Designs)

vellum: Michael's

butterfly die: Memory Box

ink: Black StazOn (Tsukineko)

Copic markers

My Legacy Writers(CTMH)

I stamped the butterfly on vellum, using StazOn ink. Then I colored it on the backside with Copics. I cut it out with the coordinating die and adhered it to my card front. Easy Peasy!

Thanks for taking a peek! I appreciate the visit. Have a great Thursday!

Blessings~

New Year! New You!

2012-01-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I know that many of us make resolutions at the start of a new year. And many of us resolve to take better care of ourselves, by making healthy food choices, dieting and exercising. Research suggests that those who write down every morsel that enters their mouths during the course of a day, tend to not only loose more weight, they also keep it off! Sounds like a good plan to me and having a pretty little journal to keep track of all those bites is essential in my book! Today I am sharing a few of the Food Journals I created for my friends and me...

supplies~

stamp set: Organize It!(GinaK Designs)

card stock: True Black(Papertrey Ink) Ivory Layering Weight(GinaK Designs)

patterned paper: Picadilly Collection(Basic Grey) Modern Homemaker(October Afternoon) Recipe Time(American Traditions Designs) I Heart You(Pebbles)

other: black gingham ribbon(GinaK Designs) Classic Oval Nestabilities(Spellbinders) spiral Notebooks(Staples)

These little gems are the perfect size for tossing into your handbag, briefcase or back pack. And they were super simple to make. I picked up the notebooks from Staples. They sell them in packs of 5 or so and only cost a few dollars, so I was able to make several. I have had this stamp set for a few years. I love it when the designers pull out the older sets and make them 'new' again. I also had some food themed patterned paper in my stash and thought it would be perfect for covering the fronts of the notebooks. The insides are lined paper, so there is lots of room for tracking what you chew! I got this idea from one of my favorite places to learn...StampTV. These nifty notebooks aren't just for food journals. You can use them for a multitude of things...you can make a prayer journal, a praise journal, sketch book, inspiration journal, I have one that I keep my craft shopping list in. When I plan to go out and about, I drop it into my purse in case I find a sale!

If you're interested in making a pocket journal of your own, view the video below!

Thank you so much for visiting today! Make it a good one!

Blessings~

Be My Valentine

2012-01-16T18:30:00.000-08:00

Hi there! Just dropping in with another post for my CAS card class. I am LOVING all of the things I'm learning. The classes are jam-packed with information and most evenings my head is reeling with ideas and images of projects I want to make. I'm trying to keep track of everything and as I find time, I slip into my studio and create something. The good thing about the CAS style, for me, is that most of the planning is in my head. The execution of the actual project is easy, it's the design that takes time. I have to admit that I am embracing the CAS style a lot better than I was at the outset of this class. I'm not stressing out anymore and I think I may be getting the hang of it. The card I am sharing today, is for the lesson entitled, Simple Embellishments. We were to create our own embellishment using non-embellishment items. Ahhh...hard to explain, easier to show. Take a look...

click to enlarge.

supplies~

stamp set: Tiny Treats:Valentine, Green Thumb(Papertrey Ink)

card stock: Real Red(Stampin' Up!) White Layering Weight(GinaK Designs)

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Memento Bamboo Leaves(Tsukineko)

punch: Heart to Heart(Stampin' Up!)

pearl(Mark Richards)

I created the flower using heart punches. I adhered them with dimensionals and placed them around the stamped stem and then added the pearl to conceal all the heart points. I really like how this turned out. Clean and simple. Less is more. :)

Thank you for stopping by today!
Blessings~

Makeover Monday Challenge #9

2012-01-15T16:01:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I found time to play along with Andrea Walford's MMC today. If you're not familiar with the Monday Makeover Challenges presented by Papercrafter's Library, you can read all about them by clicking HERE.

My card...

supplies~

stamp set: Cupcake Collection(Papertrey Ink)

card stock: Kraft, Pure Poppy(Papertrey Ink) White(Georgia Pacific)

patterned paper: 2008 Bitty Dot Basics in Pure Poppy(PTI) Porcelain Collection(Basic Grey)

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Pearlescent Chocolate Brilliance,Versamark(Tsukineko) Chocolate(CTMH)

ribbon: Pure Poppy(PTI)

other: Circle Nestabilities(Spellbinders) White EP(American Crafts) glitter pens(Sakura) Legacy Writers(CTMH)

Thanks for dropping by today! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. Both of my girls are sick, so I'm playing Nurse Maid today!

Blessings~

Warm Winter Wishes

2012-01-12T15:13:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! What a hectic Wednesday I had yesterday! Whew! I am glad that day is over...on to fun stuff now. In Lesson 3 of my CAS class, Jennifer McGuire shared a really cool die-cut layering technique. She created a gorgeous tone on tone card and that is where I drew inspiration from for the card I am sharing today. I actually made two cards using this technique. I didn't like the end result of the first one, so of course, I had to create another one to show all of you. At the last moment, I decided to post the one I didn't like also. I really want you all to grasp how difficult this class is for me. I am really stressing out over these projects! LOL! Okay, enough babbling, onto the cards...

This first one, is my second attempt at applying Jennifer's techniques. I like this one.

click to enlarge.

supplies~

stamp set: Winter Wonderland (Taylored Expressions)

card stock: Crystal Blue (Close to My Heart) Cryogen White (PaperTempress)

dies: Winter Wonderland Snowflakes (Taylored Expressions)

ink: Versamark (Tsukineko)

embossing powder: White (American Crafts) Iridescent Ice (Stampin' Up!)

other: plastic beads (Michael's)

I used regular thin dies to cut the snowflakes, but by using the layering technique, they look like chipboard and they feel like chipboard too, nice and sturdy. I stamped each snowflake with Versarmark ink and heat embossed with Iridescent Ice. Nice and Sparkly...just like I like it!

Okay so now on to the next one. I used the same layering technique, but I used patterned paper instead of plain card stock. This idea was soooo pretty in my head. Oh well...here it is. I don't like this one. At all.

click to enlarge

supplies~

stamp set: Heart Prints (Papertrey Ink)

card stock: Scarlet Jewel (Papertrey Ink) Pretty in Pink (Stampin' Up!)

patterned paper: Love Me Collection (My Mind's Eye)

dies: Hearts (Sizzix)

ink: Scarlett Jewel (Papertrey Ink)

I can tell you now that I will re-make this using card stock. I just wanted to show that things don't always work out the way I planned them. I know we all have 'those days'.

Thank for you visiting me today! I appreciate it!

Blessings~

Sending Smiles

2012-01-10T23:20:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone! Lesson Two from my CAS class is...Perfectly Flat Cards. Yeah. How about that? No layers. At all. Wow. I am really out of my comfort zone with this one. This is a technique that I have admired and never tried, so I was so glad to see a demo on it. Julie Ebersole was the teacher for this one and of course she did a fabulous job! She took the guess work and mystery out of it and made it completely do-able for me. I only had time to make one card today and this is it...

supplies~

stamp sets: Up, Up & Away and Up, Up & Away Additions (Papertrey Ink)

card stock: 120# Heavy Base Weight White (GinaK Designs)

ink: Memento Summer Sky, Danube Blue, Paris Dusk, Angel Pink and Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)

other: Copic markers, Eclipse Masking Tape, Up, Up & Away dies (Papertrey Ink)

I had a ball creating this one! I love hot air balloons and living only minutes from Wine Country, I see plenty of them floating in the air. I like them so much I even created a Pinterest board for them. Anyway...I used the 120# Heavy base weight card stock from GinaK Designs. It is great for OLC's because you can color on it with Copics and you have no bleed thru to the backside.

I'm glad you dropped in today. Thanks for the visit. I appreciate it!

Blessings~

CAS-Happy Birthday

2012-01-09T16:26:00.000-08:00

This is my second post for today! I am really enjoying the CAS class! This card is based upon another sketch Kristina provided for us. I forgot to mention that Lesson One, is "Using Simple Sketches". The example Kristina shared was done in monochromatic blue. While I liked that idea, I opted to go with varying shades of pink. My card...

supplies~

stamp sets: Birthday Cupcakes (Inque Boutique) You Take the Cake (My Favorite Things)

card stock: Sweet Blush (Papertrey Ink)

patterned paper: I Heart You (Pebbles)

ink: Versamark (Tsukineko)

embossing powder: White Zing! (American Crafts)

baker's twine: Blossom (The Twinery)

other: Copic markers, Spica At You glitter pens

There is one more sketch for us. I plan to play with that one after I prep dinner and in between loads of laundry. Thanks for stopping in again! This is fun! :)

Blessings~

Clean and Simple...

2012-01-09T10:44:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I hope you all had nice weekends. With the Holidays behind us, I am anxious to get into my studio and play with my goodies! Since I have deemed this year, my year for growth, I will be trying my hand at some new styles of card making. I view many blogs and I see things I just love, so, I've decided to take the leap and see where I land.

For the next few weeks, I am participating in a Clean and Simple online card class. You can read more about that HERE. I am so excited about this class because the Clean and Simple style is one that I struggle with. I LIKE LAYERS!! I am looking forward to learning how to create beautiful cards the CAS way. Kristina Werner is one of the teachers for this class, and if you know her work, you know she is a Master at creating beautiful CAS cards. The card I am sharing today is based on one of the sketches she provided for us. Here is my take on it...

supplies~

stamp set: Heart Prints (Papertrey Ink)

card stock: Spring Rain, Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink)

patterned paper: Love Me Hearts (My Mind's Eye)

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)

ribbon: Michael's

heart punch: Stampin Up!

I can not tell you how difficult it was NOT to glitter that heart right there! Oh my goodness! There is not a sparkle nor a shimmer on this card...I think I may faint! LOL! But I do like the way it turned out and it was super simple to make. The hardest part was choosing the card stock and patterned paper! I finally told myself that I could make more at anytime, just make ONE for now to submit to class! I think I need to lay down for a bit...I stressed myself out!

Thank you for dropping by today! Have a great Monday!

Blessings~

2012 Christmas Card Challenge Week #5

2012-01-05T18:32:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Happy New Year! Were any of you brave enough to make resolutions this year? I made one for 2011 and I'm happy to report that I stuck to it! I resolved to help others more, get more involved with my church. And to that end, I volunteered weekly in our Food Pantry. I was even made Team Leader! :) Anyway, this year, I resolve to be nicer to Barbara; improving myself, body, mind and spirit. Hold me to it, and let's see if I can stick to it and have a happy report for 2013.

Today, I am sharing the very simple card I created for the Christmas Card Challenge with Sparkle and her Elves. The challenge was to create a Christmas Thank You card. Very fitting, I thought, since I have so many to thank for blessing my family and me over the Christmas holidays. I decided to go ultra simple and make use of my scraps.

supplies~ stamp set: Signature Christmas (PTI)

patterned paper: Jovial Collection (BasicGrey)

card stock: Kraft (PTI) Ivory Layering Weight (GinaK Designs)

other: Snowflakes embossing folder (Provo Craft) Chocolate ribbon (CTMH) Chocolate Ink (CTMH) Scallop border punch (SU!)

I embossed a scrap of patterned paper with my snowflakes embossing folder. I sanded it down a bit to let some of the white core peek thru. I took another scrap, the 'ornament' pp, and used my scallop border punch on it. I adhered the pieces together and put them onto the Kraft base. I stamped my greeting, tied on a bit of ribbon, gave everything a spritz of shimmer spray-so sad the camera doesn't show it-and called it done. I did decorate the inside, by adding ivory card stock and another strip of the 'ornament' patterned paper.

Things are settling down here. The girls won't be back to school for a bit yet, but they're gearing up for it, so I've got some sneak away time and I can play in my studio. When they are home, with no projects or assignments, I like to spend as much time with them as I can. Next week, SweetP and I will begin making Valentine's Day cards. We've been baking and cooking together over the Christmas break and I just LOVE that! Okay...enough gabbing!

Thanks for stopping by today. Have a great weekend!

Blessings~

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T12:00:00.000-08:00

I appreciate each of you for spending time with me in 2011, visiting my blog and leaving sweet comments. You'll never know how much those mean to me. I wish everyone a very happy, healthy, safe, prosperous and blessed New Year!

CHEERS!

*Click HERE for a chance to win a Silhouette CAMEO!*

Blessings~

Well Here We Are...

2011-12-30T12:55:00.000-08:00

Standing on the threshold of a new year...2012. My oh my! Hello everyone! I dropped in to share one more goodie I made for Christmas this year. My Holiday Planner. I had been seeing these all over Blog Land and decided that I should have one. :)

Click to enlarge.

supplies-

patterned paper: Merry & Bright (Signify Pink)

card stock: Pure Poppy, New Leaf, Vintage Cream (PTI)

ink: Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger)

accessories- brads: Merry & Bright (Signify Pink) Peppermint Twist chipboard embellishments (Brenda Walton) Pure Poppy ribbon (PTI) gold cord (Michael's) gold jumbo paper clip (Staples) red folder (Staples) Christmas inserts (Organized Christmas) Labels Four Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

You can find lots of videos and tutorials on the Internet showing how to make all types of planners by using your favorite Search engine. This is what worked for me. The Planner was fun and super easy to make, just very time consuming. There was a lot of measuring and cutting because I wanted to line the inside of each pocket and decorate each front panel. I found that using a pre-made page kit was VERY helpful with this project because I knew the papers coordinated with each other. This was a big time-saver. The kit I used is called Merry & Bright, it's from Glimpses~Signify Pink, one of our sponsors from Scraps Of Color this month. REALLY cute kit, full of fun whimsical papers and embellishments. I used a basic two pocket folder from Staples as my base; the kind students use for school. I made a few folds and created the 4 pockets that you see here.

Click to see detail.

After I measured and cut all my paper and card stock, I adhered everything using Zip Dry Paper Glue. I specifically went out and purchased this glue for this project because I wanted to make sure that my Planner didn't fall apart with continued use. I downloaded the inserts from HERE. And then I attached the inserts, using brads and paper clips, to strips of card stock. The inserts are not glued down because I wanted to be able to use the Planner for a few more Christmases. Next, I added chipboard embellishments to each pocket for more whimsy. Then for the front cover, I let my patterned paper do the work for me. I cut the panel out of a 12 x 12 piece of paper, glued it to the folder and tied on a few gold cord bows. Finally, I adhered my title panel with pop dots, tied on a bit of red ribbon and my Planner was ready to use. Super fun and super easy!

I have been asked to create one of these for a wedding planner. I'm anxious to get started, but I have to find the right page kit first. Anybody have any ideas??

Thank you so much for visiting today! Make it a good one!

ETA: Click HERE for a chance to win a Silhouette Cameo prize package!

Blessings~

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T00:23:00.000-08:00

I'm sharing a Christmas greeting that was recorded by my daughters...this is what they do when their parents go out to dinner. They wanted to show their 'silly side' because people think they are always serious...So. With that said...Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

NOTE: Scroll down to my playlist and turn off the Christmas music first.

The girls are five years apart and they are best friends. Daughter on the the left is a Sophomore in high school. She aspires to be a professional make-up artist, dancer or 'clean food' chef. Daughter on the right is a Junior in college, majoring in English, minoring in Paralegal Studies, her desire is to become an attorney. We were blessed with really good girls. I often say, I couldn't have made better girls if I'd had a recipe!

Thank you for dropping in today! Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings~

2012 Christmas Card Challenge-Week 3

2011-12-22T15:42:00.000-08:00

This week Sparkle and her Elves challenged us to create a Christmas card using non-traditional Christmas colors. Here is my take...a combination of soft gray, pink and cream.

Click to see detail. Sooo much prettier! :)

supplies-
stamp set: Sparkle and Cheer (Taylored Expressions)
patterned paper: Love Me Collection (My Mind's Eye)

card stock: Vintage Cream, Sweet Blush (Papertrey Ink)

ink: Blush (Close to My Heart) Versamark (Tsukineko) Tattered Rose Distress Ink (Ranger)

accessories- Kaliedescope embossing powder (JudiKins) Deckled Edge Nestabilities (Spellbinders) Snowflake punch (Martha Stewart Crafts) Blossom Baker's Twine (The Twinery) Crystal Fine glitter (Martha Stewart Crafts)

Since I had the MME Valentine's paper on my work surface, I thought...why not? There is so much sparkle on this card and it's sad you can't see it. I applied a thin line of glue around the edge of the patterned paper, onto which I sprinkled some crystal fine glitter. I also put glitter on the snowflakes and I embossed the sleigh using glittery ep. Fun!

I am really enjoying my Christmas break. This is the first time in 16+ years that I did not have to cook Christmas dinner! My sister is hosting it this year and I couldn't be more pleased. I've had time to relax, spend quality time with the girls and just soak up the joys of the season. I must confess, I didn't even go all out with decorating this year. And I am JUST fine with that, thank you very much! I put out a few things here and there and of course I have Gold Canyon Candles glowing!

Christmas is sooo close...sure hope you're not on the Naughty List! Thanks for dropping by today!

Blessings~

Makeover Monday Challenge #8

2011-12-21T17:00:00.000-08:00

For this week's Makeover Monday Challenge, Andrea was inspired by my friend, Debbie Olson. If you've followed my blog for a while, you'll know that I have long been a fan of Debbie's work. To read more about Debbie and me, click HERE. I was so pleased to play along with this challenge. Andrea chose a 'classic Debbie' layout, it's one I use quite often. The card comes together very quickly and always looks nice.

I'm also giving you a sneak peek at some of the pretty Love Me patterned papers, from My Mind's Eye. I didn't want to bring these out for a few more weeks yet, but when I saw Andrea using them, I was inspired to do the same. Here is my card...

supplies-
stamp set: Well Scripted(SU!)
patterned papers: Love Me Collection(MME)

card stock: Vintage Cream(PTI) Hollyhock(CTMH)

ink: Hollyhock(CTMH) Tattered Rose Distress Ink(Ranger)

accessories-border punch(Martha Stewart Crafts) Sweet Blush buttons(PTI) Blossom Baker's Twine(The Twinery) Very Vanilla ribbon(SU!) Labels Four Nestabilities(Spellbinders)

Thanks for dropping in today!

Blessings~

Fun and Festive Pocket Card

2011-12-19T00:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday! Can you believe that Christmas is just a few days away? Where did the year go? I trust that everyone has all of their shopping completed. Well, if you’re planning to give gift cards, then this post is for you. I give gift cards all the time, but I don’t like using the standard envelopes that come with the gift card. I like to make my own. While browsing on the Internet, I came across a really cute way to present a gift card. And that is what I want to share with all of you. This is an A2 sized card, so it fits into a standard envelope which is really nice if you plan on mailing it.

Click to enlarge

supplies-

patterned paper: Merry & Bright (Glimpses, Signify Pink)

card stock: Pure Poppy, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink) Fresh Asparagus (GinaK Designs)

stamps: Friendship Jar, Friendship Jar Holiday Fillers, Signature Christmas (Papertrey Ink)

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black Olive (Close to my Heart) Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink)

other: Apple Red Glitter Ritz glitter, Essentials Glue Pad, Copic markers, Sakura Stardust glitter pen, gold cord

And on the inside is a pocket for a gift card...or cash :)

Isn't it cute? These were fun and easy to make. Just a simple card base that can be used in many ways; for birthdays, weddings, graduation, you make the base and then decorate to suit your needs. I wanted to show you how to create your own. Soooo...I've included a video for you! Enjoy!

That was super easy, right? Thanks for visiting today. Make it a great Monday.

Blessings~

Makeover Monday Challenge #7

2011-12-15T18:48:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I hope your week has been fabulous! This is a busy time for all of us, so I will keep my post brief. This week, Andrea was inspired by the very talented Maile Belles. Click HERE to see the post featuring Maile and Andrea's lovely cards.

Here is my take on the Challenge.

Click to enlarge.

Supplies-

card stock: Kraft(Papertrey Ink) my last full sheet!

patterned papers: Noel Collection(Bo Bunny)

glitter: Crystal Fine(Martha Stewart Crafts)

gold cord: Michael's

I was really inspired by the ornaments the ladies used on their cards. I don't have any large ornament stamps, but I knew I had this paper with these gorgeous ornaments printed on it. Sooo...All I had to do was figure out HOW to incorporate them into a card. This was part of a 12 x 12 sheet of paper. There is no stamping on my card. I used patterned papers from Bo Bunny's Noel Collection. Armed with my micro tip scissors, I got busy with a bit of fussy cutting. First, I used the corners of the focal paper as a template, drawing around it with a pencil, and then cutting the corners of my red paper and card stock to match. I cut the greeting from another piece of paper from the collection. I went around the edges with glitter and popped it up with foam squares. I also added a thin line of glitter to the edge of the red paper, and I wish you could see the sparkle! Then, I tied some gold cord into bows and adhered them with mini glue dots. Easy Peasy! That is something I really like about being able to purchase a Collection pack. They may seem pricey at first, but there is so much that can be done with them and all the papers coordinate beautifully.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by today! Make it a good one!

Blessings~

i LOVE Blitsy!

2011-12-14T13:41:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody! I just had to drop in and share this! First of all, a BIG thank you to everyone who has gone to Blitsy and registered using my link and also placed their first order. I have a nice little nest egg in my account over there, that I can spend on anything I like! If you've haven't heard about Blitsy, see this post HERE and you can read all about it. AND....I wanted to let you know that I WON the Tim Holtz District Market Tote filled with District Market goodies contest last week! I love TH products and I am so excited about receiving this prize package! Today, I'm sharing a video from Blitsy, featuring a new contest where two people can win a $200 gift card! So, if you are a paper crafter, register at Blitsy, using THIS LINK, then you can be included in the private sales and you will be able to take advantage of their unbelievable prices. You will not be disappointed! Watch the video and then sign up!

Race to 20,000! from Blitsy on Vimeo.

Thanks for dropping by today. I am working on a few Christmas card orders. I should have something to share soon! Have a great Wednesday.

Blessings~

Makeover Monday Challenge #6

2011-12-09T12:35:00.000-08:00

Hello All and Happy Friday! Boy it has been one busy week! Victoria has "study parties" and finals, SweetP has dance performances and we're running all over town, looking for bits and pieces for her costumes. In addition to that, I'm making gifts and cards for her friends, my friends and family, trying to keep the house clean, cook meals, decorate for Christmas, bake, mail out cards and presents, run my Gold Canyon business and my card shoppe AND My Man took this week off from work, soooo it's like having 3 kids in the house instead of 2. I found myself crafting in the wee hours of the morning, cuz ya know crafting = sanity in my world. If I don't craft, I get grumpy and nobody wants a grumpy Queen B around...no. fun. at. all! LOL!

Anyway...I wanted to share with you, the projects I created for the MMC from Papercrafter's Library with Andrea Walford. This week Andrea was inspired by another one of my favorite crafters, Michelle Wooderson, also known as Mish! She has a quirky, country vintage style and her artwork is beautiful. Stop by and visit, you will not be disappointed. Michelle creates these adorable holiday note books and those were our inspiration this week. This was a real fun one for me, since I am an avid fan of Mish's work, I happened to have many of the same supplies she did! Remember that Andrea's MMC is a 'work from your stash' challenge, so that is just what I did and here are my projects...

Click to enlarge.

I actually made several of these! They were so fun and easy to make. I chose not to do a 'Holiday' theme because I wanted something a little more practical, something that could be used after Christmas was over. I decided to make some for stocking stuffers and friendship gifts. I must confess, the leopard print one is mine! If you know me, you know I love, love, love leopard print. I made this to match my studio, where it will stay, right next to my laptop for jotting down, well...this and that! I made the piano keys note book for my mom. She's taking piano lessons and I thought the keys with the word NOTES was a fun play on words. Andrea has a video on her site, where she gives step by step instructions on how to make these. I plan to make many many more. The possibilities for these are endless...grocery lists, books to read, websites and blogs, prayers, gratitude journal, birthday minder, and on and on.

I finished off the inside of each note book...

The papers on the outside, also adorn the inside, with the exception of this one, which I used the flip side of the piano keys paper, that actually has musical notes on it. LOVE THAT!! Each note book, comes with a coordinating pen and a gold paper clip. I had some of those pens that you can put matching patterned paper inside. But I couldn't find them. That would really make a nice gift!

As you can see, I used a lot of supplies on these...so, I'm not going to list them all. If you have a question about any of the note books please e-mail me.

I'm so glad you stopped in today! I appreciate the visit. Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings~

2012 Christmas Card Challenge-Week 1

2011-12-07T15:43:00.000-08:00

Well that title was a mouth full! Hello everyone, it's Wednesday and Christmas is closing in on us! It will be here and gone before we know it! I'm still making Christmas cards and loving every minute of it. I decided to play along with Sparkle's challenge this week. The challenge was to create a "One Layer Card"...and I must say, that was QUITE a challenge for me. I'm a layers girl...I like patterned paper and dimension, but I gave it a shot and this is what I came up with. It looks sooo much better in real life!


Click to enlarge

Supplies:

stamps: Happy Holidays Trees(Hero Arts) "Peace on Earth";Say it With Style(CTMH)

card stock: Heavy Base Weight and Layering Weight White(GinaK Designs)

ink: Broken China, Faded Jeans Distress Ink(Tim Holtz) Versamark Ink(Tsukineko) Memento Paris Dusk(Tsukineko)

embossing powder: Winter Wonderland(Stampendous)

accessories: clear rhinestones(KaiserCraft) silver cord(Michael's) Stamp-a-ma-Jig

I just noticed that I didn't use ANY Papertrey Ink products on this card! That's shocking! LOL! Even though this is a very simple card, it took me the better part of the morning to get it right. I have sooo many pieces of card stock in the trash! Lots of trial and many many errors on this one. After I figured out the best way to execute the design I had in mind, I was able to get right to it and I actually like the way the card turned out. I cut a piece of layering weight cs to size. I stamped my greeting on first, using a Stamp-a-ma-Jig for accurate placement. Then, I stamped my image in Versamark and embossed it with embossing powder that has flecks of silver glitter in it. It makes the image glisten...reeeeaalllly pretty! Next, I sponged on Broken China Distress Ink, followed by Faded Jeans. I went around the edges with Paris Dusk, to create the darker frame around the piece. I used a baby wipe to gently clean the ink off the image. Next, I added the rhinestones and tied on the silver cord. I adhered the panel to my card base and called it done. So very simple.

Have a great day! Thanks for stopping by!

Blessings~

Christmas Blessings

2011-12-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Boy this weekend sure flew by quickly! It was so cold and windy here, that I stayed indoors all weekend, working in the studio. I wasn't working on anything in particular, just fiddlin' around with my supplies, trying new things, organizing and re-arranging. And I have a card to share. I still have a lot of Christmas cards left over from last year, when I participated in Sparkle's Christmas card challenges! If you need inspiration and a gentle nudge to get your cards completed, take a look at Sparkle's weekly challenges.

My card today features a lovely silhouette of the Holy Family. I made some of these last year and didn't post the picture. I made a few more recently to sell at a Christmas boutique and I thought I would share it with all of you.

Supplies:

stamp set: Christmas Blessings(Taylored Expressions)

card stock: heavy base weight white and white layering weight(GinaK Designs) Ballet Blue, Night of Navy(Stampin' Up!) True Black(Papertrey Ink

patterned paper: The Christmas Stack(DCWV)

ink: Memento Summer Sky, Memento Danube Blue, Versamark

embossing powder: Super Fine Detail Black(Ranger)

gem on star: Tiny Twinkle's(Taylored Expressions)

I stamped the image onto white layering weight cs, using Versamark ink and I embossed it in black. In real life, it's raised and very shiny. Then, I sponged on Summer Sky and Danube Blue. I matted the focal image onto black cs, then onto navy cs and adhered it to my card front with dimensional adhesive...clean and simple. Easy to make, easy to mail.

Thanks for the visit! Have a great Monday!

Blessings~

Makeover Monday Challenge #5

2011-12-01T20:32:00.000-08:00

Hello All...I am here again to share my project for the Makeover Monday Challenge from Andrea Walford of Paper Crafter's Library. This week Andrea was inspired by one of the Papercrafts magazine, Go-To-Gals...Teri Anderson. You can see their cards by clicking HERE. This was a really fun one to play with. I have so many beautiful patterned papers and I thought this layout was a wonderful way to use them without covering up or competing with the design.

Supplies:

card stock: Pure Poppy, Kraft, Vintage Cream(Papertrey Ink)

patterned paper: Jovial Collection(Basic Grey)

stamp set: Sparkle and Cheer(Taylored Expressions)

ink: Soft Suede(Stampin' Up!)

other: corduroy button(SU!) baker's twine(Martha Stewart Crafts) Ice Stickles(Ranger) corner rounder(EK Success)

It's just a shame the camera doesn't pick up the sparkle on this card. I applied Ice Stickles onto some of the dots in between the ornaments. It adds a bit of texture and a whole lotta shine! This layout lends itself well for mass production, too. The card is clean and simple...it's easy to make and easy to mail.

Thank you for dropping by!

Blessings~

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

It's the last day of November and even though the holiday has passed, I wanted to share the Thanksgiving card I made for this year. I actually CASED myself. To see the original post, click HERE. When I mass produce cards, they've got to be clean and simple...this layout was perfect.

Supplies:

card stock: Dusty Durango, Chocolate Chip(Stampin' Up!) Ivory(GinaK Designs)

patterned paper: Stamped Leaves(The Paper Studio)

stamp: Happy Thanksgiving(PSX)

ink: Soft Suede(Stampin' Up!)

ribbon: Chocolate Chip(Stampin' Up!)

other: Copic markers, EK Success corner rounder, shimmer spray, Bow Easy, Scor-Buddy

I thank you so much for visiting with me today! Have a wonderful Wednesday.

Blessings~

BLITSY!!

2011-11-28T16:58:00.000-08:00

ENABLER ALERT!! Hello All...I just had to share this with all of you. There is a new online store, called BLITSY. Blitsy is a free members-only online shopping community that offers private, limited-time sale events with the best brands in the crafting industry for up to 60% off retail! Right now they are offering the Tim Holtz Vagabond machine for $164.95, it's regularly $250! They have the Sizzix Big Shot for $64.95, regularly $99.95! They have TH Distress Inks, Spellbinders Nestabilities and so much more. The sales last only 7 days or until the items are sold out.

They also have a referral program. When you tell a friend about Blitsy, and they sign up, then place their first order, you will receive a $10 credit in your Blitsy account!! I suggest you take a peek to see for yourself. I would really appreciate it, if you would use MY PERSONAL LINK to access the site. This way, if you sign up and order, I will get the referral credit.

They are just starting up, but I think this is going to be great! Sign up and then share your link with your friends!

Thank you for dropping by today. On Wednesday, I will post my last Autumn card for the year, then after that...it's Christmas Time!!

Blessings~

Makeover Monday Challenge #4-Christmas Note Card

2011-11-26T02:02:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Happy Thanksgiving weekend! I hope you all are enjoying this time with your family and friends. We had a good time yesterday...we started a new tradition, I think. We went out to breakfast! It was just 10 of us and we went to IHop. That was so much fun! Then we came home, had a little rest and then prepared Thanksgiving dinner. It was a really good day. And...my mother in law, Trisha, and I went out last night to take advantage of the Doorbusters at Michael's! It was freezing outside!! But well worth it! I added a few goodies to my stash.

It's time to share the card I created for the Makeover Monday Challenge issued by Andrea Walford. This week, Andrea was inspired by Ashley Cannon Newell of A New Design blog. Ashley and I are blog buddies and her designs have inspired me for years. She has wonderful style and rarely uses patterned paper in her designs. She prefers to create her own using only stamps, card stock and ink. Her artwork is gorgeous, so have a look-see when you're finished here.

This is my card…

Click to enlarge

Supplies:

card stock: Scarlet Jewell, Kraft(Papertrey Ink)

patterned paper: Lost and Found Christmas(My Mind’s Eye)

stamp sets: Signature Christmas Greetings(PTI) The Magic of Christmas(GinaK Designs)

ink: Versamark(Tsukineko) Vintage Photo Distress Ink(Ranger)

embossing powders: Iridescent Ice(Stampin’ Up!) Gold Filigree(PTI)

accessories: Fancy Tags Die( Spellbinders) ribbon(Michael’s) rhinestones( Studio 18)

Although it may be difficult to see, I stamped the snowflakes in Versamark and embossed them with Iridescent Ice. I chose to use small snowflakes because I didn’t want them to compete with the musical notes on the back ground paper. And rather than have my sentiment strip hang over the edge of my card, I opted to use an embossed tag. I also felt that the card was lacking a little something, so I decided to add ribbon. I liked Andrea’s use of rhinestones, so I included a few on my card as well. While I was inspired by Ashley and Andrea's cards, I was able to take items from my stash and create a card of my own. THAT is what the MMC is all about.

I had so much fun gathering materials for this challenge. I look forward to what Andrea is going to share with us each Monday. You might consider checking out the Makeover Monday Challenges, she offers up some AWESOME prizes! The prize for this week is an adorable Blitzen Holiday Planner!

And speaking of WINNING…I was randomly chosen as the winner for last week’s challenge and my Blitzen Holiday Planner has already been shipped! Soooo…join in! You never know...YOU might win.

Thank you so much for visiting me today! Have a great weekend!

Blessings~

Give Thanks

2011-11-21T11:05:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! It's a beautiful day in my neighborhood today! We had quite a bit of rain over the weekend, which was nice, and now it's cold and sunny! Ahhhh...Autumn. I have a card to share today. It's a reflection of the gratitude I feel in my heart. There may be a lot of problems in the world, but we still have plenty for which to be thankful.

Click to enlarge.

Card Supplies:

stamp sets: Holiday Best(Stampin’ Up!)

card stock: Vintage Cream(Papertrey Ink) Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango(Stampin' Up!)

patterned paper: Traditions Floral Paisley(The Paper Studio)

ink: Antique Linen Distress Ink(Ranger)

accessories: Paisley embossing folder(Provo Craft), Filigree embossing powder(Papertrey Ink), Deckled Edge Rectangles(Spellbinders), ribbon(Memory Mare),Tiny Twinkles(Taylored Expressions)

The patterned paper is from our NEW Hobby Lobby! I like the store. But I expected a little more 'hobby' and a little less 'lobby'. LOL! I would say that 90% of the store is dedicated to home decor. There are some beautiful things in there but, I wanted to see more crafting items. Anywho...back to the card...I pulled out my Stampin' Up! basket of card stock for this one. I used some old 'In Colors'... Dusty Durango, Soft Suede, Crushed Curry...really nice colors for Autumn and they work so well with the patterned paper. I love it when that happens! I used a Paisley embossing folder on the Dusty Durango to echo the pattern in the paper. My sentiment is also from Stampin' Up!. I stamped it onto Vintage Cream card stock, using Versamark ink. I embossed it with gold embossing powder then die cut it with Deckled Edge Rectangles Nestabilities-(what a mouth-full!) I inked it with Antique Linen Distress ink while it was still in the die. I love the edge this die creates. I added some tiny twinkles to the 'berries' on the image, cuz ya know THIS girl has to have a little bling! And I used the last of my lovely Jonquil ribbon for the bow.

During this season of Thanks Giving, I want to thank each of you for joining me on this journey, for visiting my blogs and for leaving encouraging comments along the way.

Make it a good Monday!
Blessings~

Makeover Monday Challenge #3- Celebrate Today card

2011-11-17T11:11:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Today, I am sharing the card I created for the Makeover Monday Challenge issued by Andrea Walford. This week, Andrea was inspired by this pretty snowflake card by Danielle Flanders of Homespun from the Heart.

Here is Andrea’s beautiful card

Here is my card…

Click to enlarge

Supplies- card stock: Fresh Asparagus, Chocolate Brown(GinaK Designs) paper: Curio(BasicGrey) focal image: Birds & Botanicals Images & Journal Notes(Crafty Secrets) stamp: Out on a Limb Sentiments(PTI) ink: Soft Suede(Stampin’ Up!) baker’s twine(Martha Stewart Crafts) yellow flower(Prima) copper brad(GinaK Designs) Labels Four Nestabilities(Spellbinders)

I was inspired by the whole design really. I especially liked the minimal stamping. I was able to use one of the pretty images from some journaling tags I’ve had for years. That is what I am enjoying so much about the Makeover Monday Challenges…I am forced to look thru my things with fresh eyes and I am discovering goodies I had long forgotten. I really like the layout of the original piece too. The image panel is slightly higher than the top of the card and it takes up quite a bit of ‘real estate’ on the card front. I will definitely be using this layout again. You can see that Danielle used a bit of spray paint on her card. And although you can’t see it, Andrea used glimmer mist on hers. I gave mine a generous shot of my homemade shimmer spray. It just makes everything so sparkly and I love that!

Thank you so much for visiting me today!

Blessings~

Happy Birthday!

2011-11-14T16:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday everyone! I hope ya’ll had fantastic weekends! Since it was rainy and cold, I stayed close to home. I got a lot of organizing and purging done in my studio and that sure feels good! I was also able to make a trip into town to visit our brand new Hobby Lobby store!! I took the whole family with me and we really had a good time! The store is just huge and there is so much to see! I have some blog buddies who often post about their finds from Hobby Lobby and I wanted to visit one and now I can!

I participated in Card Patterns sketch challenge. The sponsor is My Memories, a digital scrapbooking company, so I thought I would use my digital scrapbooking goodies to create a card.

What I have here is a 5 x 5 digital card front. I created the entire piece using Photoshop Elements. I made a 12 x 12 canvas, and added the layers and embellishments following the sketch guidelines. After I was satisfied with my card front, I saved it and resized it to 5 x 5. I like working with the papers and elements in their original size and then resizing at the end, this way everything stays in the proper proportions and I’m not having to measure and guess-ta-mate at sizes…it’s just what works for me!

All supplies used to create the card front are from the An Affair to Remember kit by Shabby Princess.

Then I printed the card front on GOOD QUALITY paper (can’t stress this enough!) I used Premium Presentation Paper-Matte by Epson. This is my personal preference…I have friends who print on regular glossy photo paper, whatever works! Once my image was dry, I trimmed it out using my paper trimmer, adhered it to a card base and call it finished.

click to enlarge.

I’m having fun in my studio again! Can you tell? LOL!! Thank you for dropping by today.

Blessings~

Makeover Monday Challenge #2- Snowflake Card

2011-11-12T18:49:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Today I am sharing the card I created for the Makeover Monday Challenge issued by Andrea Walford. Each week Andrea will present a project that she has found on the Internet. She will recreate the project using supplies from her stash. Her objective is to show us, that when we are inspired by a card, we don’t need to run out and purchase all of the items used for the project…we can recreate it, making it our own, using materials that we already have. LOVE. THAT.

This week, Andrea was inspired by this beautiful snowflake card by Lisa Johnson of Poppy Paperie. I have long admired Lisa’s style, so I was pleased to see that she was our inspiration.

Here is Andrea’s gorgeous card....

You can see how she was inspired by the original piece. And you can see how she made it her own. I love Andrea’s style…clean lines, rich colors, attention to detail. Look at the bling on that snowflake! Stunning!

And here is my card...

click for close-up view

Supplies- card stock: Ivory(GinaK Designs) paper: Christmas Mat Stack(DCWV), Antique Gold(The Paper Studio) stamp: Mailbox Greetings(PTI) ink: Chocolate Pearlescent(Tsukineko) snowflake sticker: Anna Griffin ribbon: GinaK Designs pearl: Martha Stewart Crafts

Again, you can clearly see what inspired me from the original piece. I didn’t have a snowflake punch or die, but I did have snowflake stickers; so I pulled those out. I opted not to add rhinestones to my snowflake, since it’s already so sparkly, so I added a pearl instead. I loved the greeting Andrea included on her card, and I happened to have a stamp with the same sentiment, so I pulled that out. And I like to have a few layers on my card, so rather than stamp onto my card front, like Lisa did, I chose to go the same route as Andrea and I created a card front piece. So there you have it! I was able to create a card, using inspiration from the Internet, using supplies I already had on hand. I love it when I use things I already own.

I had so much fun gathering materials for this challenge. I viewed my 'old' supplies with fresh eyes and I am looking forward to what Andrea is going to share with us on Monday! You might consider checking out the Makeover Monday Challenges, she offers up some AWESOME prizes! The prize for this week is this beautiful Advent calendar!

Thank you so much for visiting me today! I hope you are having a great weekend!

Blessings~

Thinking of You..

2011-11-09T15:31:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I hope you are having a wonderful Wednesday! I decided to play along with Card Patterns blog this week. Each week they offer a new sketch and prizes...This is my take on sketch 140.

Click to Enlarge

It's pretty CAS, yes? I like it though. I really enjoyed coloring those pumpkins! Anywho...thanks for stopping by today, I appreciate the visit.

supplies - stamps:Vintage Picnic Baskets and Vintage Picnic Baskets Sentiments(PTI),

card stock: Cryogen white(Papertemptress) Fresh Asparagus(GinaK Designs) Creamy Caramel(SU!) Textured Autumn Terracotta(CTMH)

paper: Autumn Terracotta Gingham(CTMH)

ink: Pearlescent Chocolate(Tsukineko) Antique Linen, Vintage Photo Distress inks(Ranger)

accessories: Rustic Twine(PTI) chocolate button(BasicGrey) Classic Circles Nestabilities(Spellbinders) Scallop Edge Punch(SU!)

Blessings~

It's Digital Scrapbook Day!

2011-11-05T23:49:00.000-07:00

I had to pop in and share a digital layout with you since it's DSD! The weather in my world has been wonderful...crisp cold and raining! That's perfect weather for me, as long as I don't have to go out! LOL! This is a layout I created for the SOC magazine a few months ago, some of you may have already seen it. I'm trying to work a little at a time on my Year with Disney album. To visit my Disney blog, click HERE.

Click to enlarge.

Journaling reads:

The perfect end to a perfect day...Disney treated us to a late night snowfall! We were so surprised when we discovered that at closing, there would be snow! It was well after midnight. We had hot chocolate and coffee and then we waited in The French Quarter with the other thousands of Disney guests. We were so tired, but sticking around for the snow was worth it! Yes, it was soap bubbles, but we used our imaginations! As usual, Disney did not disappoint…The “snow” fell gently from the night sky, while festive Christmas music played, helping to set the mood. This was really the best kind of snow, because we were able to enjoy the ambiance of snow that was not cold or wet. I think we all had a great time!

I hope everyone is staying warm and toasty! Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Thanks so much for visiting today.

Blessings~

Makeover Monday Challenge #1- Wine Bottle Tag

2011-11-04T17:53:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I decided to take on the Makeover Monday Challenge with Andrea Walford. I love her style! So, what's the deal? Every Monday, she will provide an inspiration piece, a project or card, that she's found on the internet. Then we are challenged to create a project based on the inspiration piece, using items from our stash. I love that idea! To read more about the Monday Makeover Challenge, click HERE. This week's challenge was to makeover a wine bottle tag. Here's my take on it...

A close-up shot for detail...


Click to enlarge.

And here is the tag with the bottle. I'm using mine for a 50th Wedding Anniversary and it's on a bottle of champagne.

supplies:

card stock: gold(SU!) Vintage Cream(PTI)

paper: watercolor (Canson)

stamp: Round and Round-anniversary edition(PTI)

ink: Soft Suede(SU!)

embossing folder: Textile(Provo Craft)

punches: heart (SU!) Arbor Edger(EK Success)

ribbon: CTMH

rhinestones: Studio18(Michael's)

Thank you so much for stopping by today! Have a fantastic weekend!

Blessings~

Witch's Brew

2011-10-28T00:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! We made it thru the week! Yay us! So who is going to a costume party over the weekend? Well, I just couldn't let Halloween pass by without creating something with the witch legs. This image cracks me up! It's the main reason I bought the stamp set. Isn't it cute?!

Click to enlarge.

I had so much fun coloring this and adding bits of bling. I gave it a blast with my shimmer spray and the whole piece just sparkles! Here is a close-up...I wish I could photograph the shimmer for you!

Supplies:

stamps: Friendship Jar, Friendship Jar Fillers (PTI)

card stock: True Black, Plum Pudding (PTI)

patterned paper: Halloween in Wonderland (G45)

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black Black Soot Distress Ink (Ranger) Wisteria Chalk Ink (Color Box)

accessories: Copic markers, black brads (GinaK Designs), Tiny Twinkles (Taylored Expressions), Glitter Pen (Sakura), ribbon and gold thread from my stash

I really am enjoying this stamp set and maybe I'll be able to get one more card made before Halloween. I've been busy working on projects for the December/January issue of Scraps of Color magazine...lots of neat stuff in store for our readers! If you haven't gotten your FREE October/November issue, click HERE.

So that's it for me, for now...I thank you so much for stopping by today. Have a great weekend. Be safe.

Blessings~

Peek-A-BOO!

2011-10-24T00:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! We are in the last week of October, so I thought I would dress my blog up for Halloween. What do you think? If you are a regular reader, you know how I like to celebrate the seasons. I created the header and blog background myself. I just love that lightening streak up there!

The card I am sharing today is one that was rolling around in my head for a while. I couldn't seem to move past it, so I had to create it. Does that ever happen to you? Well, now that it's finished, I feel like I can move on and make something else. Sometimes projects need to stay in our heads, but, I figured I would share this one any way. Don't laugh...I had this idea to make a 'peek-a-boo pumpkin' card and well, without further ado...

BOO!

Here's a peek at the inside...

It all started with this cute pumpkin sticker. I thought it would be fun to create a cut-out card showing his little face. The sticker and the patterned papers are from Cosmo Cricket's Matilda collection. The sentiment stamps and card stock are Papertrey Ink. I used some of my yummy wrinkled ribbon to make the bow. I finished the inside very simply to be able to showcase that pumpkin! LOL!

Thanks for dropping by today! I appreciate the visit. Make it a good day! Until next time...

Blessings~

It's Here!

2011-10-19T00:19:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to share with all of you, the October/November issue of Scraps of Color magazine! Click HERE to download your FREE copy. This issue is jam packed with lots of Autumn inspiration...Halloween cards, Thanksgiving layouts, a tutorial on how to paint a pumpkin and a FREE Halloween digi kit! Don't be scared! Download your copy today!

Blessings~

Halloween Candy Corn

2011-10-17T00:56:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Did you all have nice weekends? I cannot believe how quickly October is slipping away. I really love this month and all the changes it brings to nature. Ahhhh....Autumn. *sigh* Well, today is my day to post on the Scraps of Color blog, so I thought I would try something new. I am going to share my project here as well. Lets get to it! Click HERE to view my SOC post.

The inspiration for my card today comes from this photo on my Pinterest board.

Source: blogs.babble.com via Barbara on Pinterest

It also features a design I saw in the September issue of Card Maker magazine. The card opens on the side, after lifting the flap. It is so cute in real life!

Click to enlarge.

Card Supplies:

stamp sets: Friendship Jar, Friendship Jar Fillers(Papertrey Ink)

patterned papers: Matilda(Cosmo Cricket)

card stock: Ivory Layering(GinaK. Designs), Dusty Durango(Stampin' Up!)

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Soft Suede(Stampin' Up!), Antique Linen, Vintage Photo Distress Inks(Ranger)

accessories: Copic markers, Clear Star Glitter pen, Rustic Twine(PTI), Oval, Oval Scallop Nestabilities, Friendship dies(PTI)

I got another chance to use my Friendship Jar sets...lovin' those! You will definitely be seeing a few more posts showcasing these sets in the upcoming weeks. I love the vintage feel of the Mason jar and the folks over at Papertrey Ink created lots of fun goodies to put inside the jar. I think the twine finishes the card off nicely, although, raffia would have looked nice too.

Don't forget to download your FREE copy of Scraps of Color magazine. You will find lots of seasonal inspiration there, everything from sketches to create awesome layouts, to card samples to step by step tutorials. The issues are jam packed with color photos, informative articles and freebies. The Creative Team always has wonderful projects showcased, as well. The October issue is almost ready for publication and it is LOADED with creative goodness!

I'm so glad you stopped by today! Thanks for the visit. Until next time...

Blessings~

We Have a Winner!

2011-10-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to CARYN for winning the Scraps of Color Breast Cancer Awareness Blog Hop Grand Prize! Thank you Caryn, for visiting all of the blogs, I know you will enjoy your prize.

Blessings~

Thank You!

2011-10-11T00:05:00.000-07:00

A great big THANK YOU! to all who participated in the Scraps of Color Breast Cancer Awareness Blog Hop!! And although our event has ended, the fight for a cure for this disease has not. Schedule your mammograms and remind a friend to do the same. Make PINK purchases this month because many companies donate portions of their sales to fund breast cancer research.

AND NOW....

THE WINNER OF THE BLOG CANDY I AM OFFERING IS...

*******DRUM ROLL PLEASE*******

RANDOM.ORG SELECTED COMMENT NUMBER......

17- TEEN QUEEN said...

Great card!So peaceful looking. I had to go back and I am loving the Sugar cookies candle too.

Congratulations, Teen Queen. I will be contacting you via e-mail.

Thank you everyone for visiting my blog and leaving such sweet comments. I hope you come back and visit me again. Don't forget to check back on Friday to see who won the Scraps of Color prize...it just might be YOU! Until next time...

Blessings~

SOC Blog Hop for Breast Cancer

2011-10-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month! So in honor of this event--I, along with some talented crafters, have teamed up to honor and celebrate the men and women in our lives that inspire us with their strength in the battle against Breast Cancer. Of course, a blog hop isn't complete without blog candy! There will be giveaways on various blogs throughout the hop! Plus, there will be a SOC blog hop gift awaiting one visitor!! To be eligible for that prize, you must comment on all the blogs by Monday, Oct. 10 at 11:00pm EST. From all who are eligible, one lucky reader will be randomly drawn. The winner will be posted on all the participating blogs this Friday, Oct 14.

Now onto my card...

Click on image to enlarge.

I created an easel card using a lovely stamp from Memory Box. The rose buds are colored with Copic markers. I added a few glittered butterflies and pearls to show their flight pattern. A Breast Cancer pink ribbon holds the easel card open to reveal the verse which says, "Nothing is impossible with God".

Supplies-

stamp: Hope Collage from Memory Box and Hope from Our Daily Bread Designs

paper: The Bella Collection (SU!-retired)

card stock: Heavy Base Weight White (GinaK) Gray Flannel, Gray Wool (CTMH) Pink Pirouette, Pretty In Pink (SU!)

ink: Memento London Fog

accessories: pearls (ZvaCreative), butterfly punch (Martha Stewart) Iridescent Ice embossing powder (SU!) pink ribbon quicklets (Eyelet Outlet)

I also have blog candy!! In keeping with our Breast Cancer Awareness theme, I have put together a Pink Treat goodie bag for one lucky hopper! In addition to the goodies shown here, the winner will also receive the Hope card featured above! So be sure to leave a comment on this post to be eligible for the goodie bag.

There is also a Blog Hop Prize from Scraps Of Color! You must leave a comment on each of the blogs listed below to be entered into the drawing. Here is the wonderful prize from SOC...

Time to click on over to Sharon's blog. If you get lost along the way, here is the order of the hop today...

RJ http://www.thriftycrafterdude.blogspot.com/
Letillia http://divaof5.blogspot.com/
Rochelle http://www.twotearsinmybucket.blogspot.com/
Cyndi http://nashvillesscrappinsisters.blogspot.com/
An'Jenic http://anjenicgibson.blogspot.com/
Tina http://www.parablesproductions.blogspot.com/
Tiare http://www.iclassygirl.com
Samara http://honeys-child.blogspot.com/
Barb W. http://thebuzzfromqueenb.blogspot.com/ *thank you*
Sharon http://seraph1959.blogspot.com/
Jessica http://oneseriouslyfrugalcraftymom.blogspot.com/
Suzy-que http://suzqucrafter21.blogspot.com/
Qadirah http://crafty-whimsyone.blogspot.com/
Nedine http://msscrappycreations.blogspot.com/
Cheryl http://www.onecraftyncpeach.blogspot.com/

Thanks for hopping with us!

Blessings~

****comments for this post are closed****

Pink Sugar Cookies-Yum!

2011-10-05T00:24:00.000-07:00

I really like the fact that we have a month dedicated to focusing on Breast Cancer Awareness. We need to find a cure for this disease and that takes money. Gold Canyon Candles has a way that we can help. They are offering a yummy Pink Sugar Cookie candle for sale and a portion of the retail value will be donated to Breast Cancer Research. Click HERE to visit my Gold Canyon Candle website where you can purchase one of these beautiful candles. For those of you who do not like candles, consider purchasing one or two for gifts, Christmas is just a few months away. Many of you ordered last year and Gold Canyon was able to donate over $60,000 to breast cancer research, lets see if we can double that this year...place your order today! The candles will be delivered right to your door. A big THANK YOU to those of you who have already ordered. I appreciate you!

Sugar Cookie-sweet cream, butter, sugar and vanilla baked to a golden perfection. Smells just like cookies are baking!

Thank you for stopping by today. Have a great day!

Blessings~

Happy Fall

2011-10-03T18:32:00.000-07:00

Happy October! This is the most wonderful time of the year for me! I am energized by the cooler temps and I truly hope I am able to get in a lot of creating time in my studio. I am such an Autumn person! In keeping with the Fall theme, I have a card to share today. Happy Fall!

Click to enlarge.

Isn't that jar the cutest thing? This is an older set from Papertrey Ink, but it's new to me, and I just love it! I am so pleased that PTI has created dies for some of their sets. This is Friendship Jar and Friendship Jar Fall Fillers, such fun sets! I colored the image with Copics. I have to say, I've been collecting Copic markers for a while now and I have learned that it is really not necessary to have ALL of them. If you want to get started with Copics, but shied away because of the cost, re-think it. All you really need is 3 shades in each color family...3 reds, 3 blues, 3 greens, etc. Then you can fill in and add as you see fit.

I always finish the inside of my cards, but I don't always show it. This inside is finished very simply.

Supplies: stamps: Friendship Jar, Friendship Jar Fall Fillers from Papertrey Ink

ink: Memento Tuxedo Black and Soft Suede from Stampin' Up!

paper: Autumn Terracotta Gingham from Close to My Heart

cardstock: Chocolate Chip(SU!) Vintage Cream(PTI) Autumn Terracotta textured (CTMH)

accessories: button(Basic Grey), twine(PTI), jar die(PTI), Copic markers

I really appreciate you stopping by today!

Blessings~

Autumn Blessings

2011-09-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Autumn! I woke up this morning to a cloud burst! Scared me right out of bed...I thought we had a sprinkler gone wild in the back yard, but it was just rain falling into the swimming pool and hitting the patio umbrellas. It was very nice. I do so love Autumn and I am anxious to get to my decorations and start making soup again.

I have a card to share today! I was in the mood for a Fall card so that is what I made. I hope you like it.

Supplies-stamp set: Autumn Abundance-Papertrey Ink; card stock: Ripe Avocado,Vintage Cream-Papertrey Ink; ribbon: MemrieMare; tiny twinkles:Taylored Expressions; ink:Olive-Close to My Heart; Labels Two-Spellbinders

Have a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by.

Blessings~

Real Talk...

2011-09-21T23:49:00.000-07:00

I’ve been noticing it all over Blog Land…crafters have lost their ‘mojo’. Many of my blogging buddies are not blogging any more, a few have actually closed their blogs. And it’s obvious that I haven’t been posting like I used to. I can’t speak for everyone else, but I can share what has been going on with me…

Our Pastor challenged us to become ‘transparent’ to ‘take off the mask’ and let people know who we really are. Scary thought, huh? I know it scared me. I realize that I will never meet most of you, but I hope that sharing a little more of ME, may be helpful to someone.

Most of you know that I was caring for my Dad for the latter part of 2009 until May 2010, when he passed away. My Dad had Alzheimer’s and I got to watch him slowly slip away. We had good days and we had some awfully bad days, but always, I knew the day would come, when he would leave me for good. And as hard as that was to deal with, I prayed and then I talked to him and I told him every day we were together how much I loved him and how much I appreciated all he did for me. My dad was the only person on this earth who knew all my secret thoughts and dreams. We had a very special relationship and even though I was so very sad to let him go, on May 15th, I said my goodbyes, I kissed him, I told him he was handsome, I told him I loved him and I walked out of his room. Less than 24 hours later, he was gone. I was prepared for this…I had several months to deal with it…right? Wrong. The days following my dad’s passing would see me spiraling out of control into a deep dark place called Depression.

I really was prepared for my dad to die. I was not prepared for what was to follow his death…family members questioning my integrity and motives…family drama! I was completely blind-sided by this and I felt that the best way for me to take care of me, was to completely shut down. And that is what I did. I shut down and I shut out….I stopped taking care of me, I let myself go, I let my house go, I shut out my family. I did the bare minimum for everything. My health was jeopardized, so was my marriage, my finances were strained, and I put my friendships on hold. I would go into my studio alone and sit for hours. Attempting to create anything was a complete disaster, so I decided to just stop trying. But since I was recently accepted onto the Design Team for an e-zine, I knew I had to push myself to create to meet my deadlines. And sometimes, the ‘clouds would part and the sun would shine’ and I would create something to share on my blog.

I got tired of wearing the “everything is just fine” mask…because clearly everything was not just fine. So I asked for prayer. I talked to people at my church. I got a tight circle of friends and family around me and I just kept PUSH-ing. Praying Until Something Happened…Well, I am happy to report that something has happened…God showed up, just when I was ready to give up. Through much prayer and many tears, I am finding my way back to myself again. I’ve had a lot of time to think and there will be some changes in my life in the months to come. But,I don’t have dark days anymore and I’m in my studio, with music playing and I’m organizing things and looking at all my stuff. Every day I’m doing some small thing to help myself get back on track…choosing to eat well, exercising, reading my Bible, volunteering at Church, spending time with my girls.

I want to thank each of you who prayed for my family and me. You will never know how much I appreciate it. I also want to apologize to those of you, who sent me e-mails that were never answered, and to those of you who phoned me and I didn’t return your calls. I wasn’t myself and I felt that staying closed off was the best way to handle this monster. And that is exactly what depression is, a monster. So, I guess the ‘take away’ from all of this is, be true to yourself. Listen to what’s inside your heart and mind and follow that. If you feel like something is wrong, it probably is. Seek help. Talk to someone. I hope my sharing this will help someone.

I am so appreciative to all of you Bloggers who stop by and leave comments, means a lot to me.

Take care now. Until next time…

Blessings~

Back to School!

2011-09-19T17:41:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! Surprise! I have a digital layout to share today...With school back in session, many of us with school-age children, may be able to carve out a block of time to get some serious scrapping done and that is super exciting to me! I always take a first day of school picture of my girls. I like how fresh and hopeful they look, I like the excitement on their faces and the anxious gleam in their eyes. Putting together a ‘first day’ page can be really fun and easy. I let my girls choose the photo they want showcased, that way I know they’ll appreciate it later, and then I choose my supplies. I try to keep my pages age-appropriate, as well. Since SweetP is in high school now, I used subtle hints of school…lined paper in the title area and small embellishments around the journaling.

First Day of 9th Grade by Barbara Walker. Supplies- template-Shabby Princess; Digital Kits:Hop Scotch, Hop Scotch School Additions, Barefoot-Shabby Princess

Needless to say, she made quite an impression with her blue braids! Everyone from, the Principal to cheerleaders, to guys on the football team, were giving her thumbs up and high fives all day. She even had lunch with the Principal for having so much school spirit! I have a picture of her with her face painted Titan Blue, also. She looks like an Avatar, and I know she would not be pleased if I showed it! LOL!

I am so glad you stopped by today. Little by little, I'm making my way back. Thank you for your patience, your e-mails and cards. Until next time...

Blessings~

Scraps of Color E-zine...

2011-09-02T13:46:00.000-07:00

Hello all...The August/September issue of Scraps of Color is HERE and ready for immediate download. In this issue you'll be inspired to create quick layouts using our sketches, be challenged to add stitching to your creations, learn how you can create your own stamps and so much more! I have a fun and easy tutorial featured on page 20 and be sure to take a peek at page 30 for some really pretty wedding cards. You will see my artwork sprinkled throughout the issue and as usual there are give-aways and freebies. Download your FREE copy today.

I thank each of you for your support! Have a wonderful Labor Day (US Holiday) weekend!

Blessings~

Make a Wish!

2011-07-18T14:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! How is everyone doing? Summer is in full swing in my world. This is not my favorite time of year, so I'm staying indoors, I'm getting a lot accomplished though, so that's a good thing. The Fam and I took a short little vacation to Las Vegas last week. We had such a good time, photos and layouts are on the way. But for now, I have a card created with another darling digital image from Mo's Digital Pencil. This is Fairy Tabia. I first saw Fairy Tabia HERE and I knew I had to add her to my collection. She was so much fun to color. I think she is just adorable...

Click to enlarge.

Enlarge to see detail.

I used Dazzling Diamonds from Stampin' Up! on her wings. I used a Sakura glaze pen to make the bubbles shiny. Fairy Tabia was printed on Cryogen White Iridescent card stock and colored with Copic markers. The background paper is an old BasicGrey pattern from the Gypsy collection and the card stock is Kiwi Kiss by SU! I've been lovin' the big scrunchy bows lately, this one is made with ribbon from MemrieMare. I used Tiny Tags by Provo Craft to die cut the tag, onto which I stamped "Make a Wish", from the Mixed Messages stamp set from Papertrey Ink.

Thank you so much for the visit...I appreciate it! Have a great week everyone! Until next time...

Blessings~

Hanging with my Gnomies...

2011-07-05T21:43:00.000-07:00

Well hello everyone! It's been a while...I have been a busy little bee, working on articles and projects for the Scraps of Color e-zine. If you haven't gotten your FREE copy, there is still time to download our last month's issue. Just click HERE. It's loaded with inspirational ideas and as usual, there are some FREEBIES in there too!

I also have a card to share with you today! This is a digital image from Whimsie Doodles, called My Gnomies. Aren't these little guys the cutest? I colored them with Copic markers, I die-cut the focal panel with Nestabilities Labels One, I used the Magical Moments paper pack from Close to my Heart and added some wonky stitching for a bit of whimsy.

Click to enlarge.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Blessings~

DIVA!

2011-06-10T00:05:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I have another adorable Mo's Digital Pencil image card to share with you. This one is called Diva. I made this card for SweetP's 15th birthday last weekend. She is sooo spoiled!! Just wait until you hear how she celebrated her birthday this year. I am working on a few digital scrap pages that I will post soon. My card was inspired by a new blog buddy, Carla. Her artwork is AMAZING!! Carla is a real sweetheart, because she has helped me with my Copic coloring of African American skin tones. She really does a FABULOUS job with our skin and I e-mailed her and asked waaaay too many questions (sorry Carla) and she was patient and very giving. I still need a lot more practice, but I am getting more confident with my coloring. Here is DIVA!

Click to enlarge.

She's printed on Cryogen White Iridescent card stock. This is gorgeous card stock! It has sparkles on it and they don't rub off like glitter can. It's also wonderful for Copic coloring. I purchased mine from the PaperTemptress. My card base and patterned paper are from CTMH. I used ribbon from Memrie Mare to create my bow and the feather boa gets its sparkle from Dazzling Diamonds from Stampin Up! Here's a close up for you...

Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend. Until next time...

Blessings~

Live Laugh Love

2011-06-06T00:19:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! The card I am sharing today, features an image from Mo's Digital Pencil. I just love her art! This one is called Fairy 2. She is printed on X-Press It Blending card, colored with Copics, has a sprinkling of Dazzling Diamonds on her wings, the background paper is from the Once Upon a Springtime collection by Graphic 45, my bow is made with some delicious ribbon from Memrie Mare, the Aqua Mist card stock, Blush button and sentiment are from Papertrey Ink. The focal image has been die cut with Square Nestabilities and sponged with Juniper ink from CTMH. I hope you like it...

Click to enlarge.

Thanks for stopping by! Until next time...

Blessings~

How Ewe Doin'?

2011-05-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

Hello! It's been a busy week for me so far and I am looking forward to the weekend! I wanted to let you know that my first Creative Team blog post for Scraps of Color was published yesterday! You can see it by clicking HERE. My articles will be posted on the 17th of every month. I also submitted my projects for the June/July issue of the e-zine. My assignments included a lot of digital scrap booking layouts. It sure was nice getting back into that again and I am excited to start posting some new layouts in the upcoming weeks. For now though you can get a copy of the April/May issue by clicking HERE and remember, it's FREE!

Moving on...Today I have a card to share with you. This card features a digital image from Whimsie Doodles. I just love her punny sayings.

I used some of the scrumptious Modern Homemaker paper by October Afternoon. The card stock, sun stamp and ribbon are from Papertrey Ink. I wanted my little guy to be fluffy-ish, so I used a bit of Liquid Applique on him. He also got a sprinkle of glitter. Here is a close up for you...

His little hooves got lost in the fluff, so I printed out an extra image, cut them out and adhered them with foam tape. The image is colored with Copics.

Thanks for dropping in! I appreciate the visit.

Blessings~

You KNOW I love Cupcakes!

2011-05-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

So you should not be surprised to see a cupcake card today. Hey everybody...I hope you all had great weekends. Mine was super busy, but I like that. We participated in a food drive for our church on Saturday. The postal workers collected 9,000 pounds of food! What a tremendous blessing that was for the community that we serve. Our church was able to add 2,800 pounds of food to our own Food Pantry! Needless to say, we have a lot of organizing and sorting to do. Can I just give a PSA here...if you are going to donate food, please donate only items you would consume yourself. And please, please, please check expiration dates. We received a huge box of chili, and each jar had expired in 2005! It breaks my heart to see the families who come to our Pantry each week, so many people are just not making it. So, do me a favor...find out where you can donate food and then when you go grocery shopping, consider buying one or two items to help feed someone. Okay, I am officially getting down off my soap box. On to the crafty parts...

My card today is another created with my favorite Cupcake Collection from Papertrey Ink. This one is loaded with lots of glittery goodness. The paper is from the Porcelain Collection by BasicGrey.


Click image to see detail.

Thank you for dropping by today...Have a good one!

Blessings~

Celebrating the Big 5-0!

2011-05-11T00:16:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Today I am sharing the birthday card I created for My Man. In keeping with 'using what I already own', I pulled out some oldies but goodies and this is what I made.

I went back to basics on this one, using no patterned paper, just card stock and ink. I used GinaK Designs Pure Luxury card stock; Black Onyx for the base and the 120lb heavy white card stock. Let me just say, if you've never tried GinaK's card stock, you need to. It is FAB-U-LOUS!! And talk about a blast to the past, I die-cut the 5 and 0, using my Sizzix Sizzlits alpha called Round-a-Bout. I haven't used those alphas in years! I die-cut a small circle using a Nestabilities circle die, sponged on a bit of cantaloupe ink and popped the numbers up on pop dots. The ribbon is also from GinaK Designs.

Thank you for dropping in today. Enjoy your Wednesday!

Blessings~

Hello!

2011-05-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I took a much needed break and now I am back and with BIG NEWS! I am excited to share with you, that I am now part of the Scraps of Color Creative Team! SOC has a blog, a website and a FREE downloadable bi-monthly e-zine. I invite everyone to go check it out. There are contests and give-aways, challenges and SO much inspiration.This is a wonderful opportunity for me and I am so glad to be able to share my journey with all of you!

I will still be posting here, so please come back and visit me! Thanks for stopping by today.

Blessings~

Hey There!

2011-05-04T09:22:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I just wanted to stop by to say hi. There is a lot going on behind the scenes for me and I will be back in a few days to share. This is the last month of school for both of my girls, so it's tying up loose ends time, with finals and projects and so on.

Okay...I didn't intend to chat your ears off. Stick with me, good things are coming up. I hope you are having a great week.

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate the visit.

Blessings~

Get Well Wishes

2011-04-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I am not MIA...I was enjoying some time with my girls since they were on Spring break. I can hardly believe it's April already and I tell you, the weather we've been having suggests that it is still Winter! It has been freezing at night and the days are not much warmer. I know the weather has been a bit wonky all over the US and I am sure that warmer days are ahead...I did take some time to create while I was on my break...Today I am sharing a card I made for one of my blog buddies, who is recuperating from foot surgery...Kim from the Clearly Inspired Blog.

I used my Cupcake Riley since he's sitting there with his feet up...just like Kim should be! I paper pieced the little ottoman, the cupcake liner and coffee mug. Aren't these papers so very pretty?? They are from the Once Upon a Springtime collection by Graphic 45. It's a beautiful blend of florals and stripes, polka dots and fairies and Peter Rabbit and friends! I really LOVE it!


Click to enlarge

Thank you for dropping by today! Have a great Monday.

Blessings~

Emo Amber and Alek

2011-03-31T00:46:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! My card today features another cute digital image from Just Some Lines, this week's sponsor on the Lollipop Crafts blog. The challenge was to create a non-square/non-rectangular card. I used Emo Amber and Alek on this one. Aren't they adorable?

I used my Creative Memories Cutting System to get this shape. I printed the image onto X-Press It Blending Card and colored it with Copic markers. I masked the image and lightly sponged around it with Summer Sky and Pear Tart inks. I added a bow, made with the Bow Easy and a few punched hearts and called it finished.
Remember, if you play along with this week's challenge you could win a gift certificate to Just Some Lines!!

Materials Used:

Digital image: Emo Amber and Alek-Just Some Lines

ink: Summer Sky, Pear Tart (Memento)

Card stock: Spring Moss, Sweet Blush (PTI) X-Press It Blending card

Paper: Polka Dot Parade (PTI)

Accessories: Sweet Blush ribbon (PTI) heart punch (SU!), Copic Markers, Bow Easy, Custom Cutting System (Creative Memories)

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a wonderful Thursday!

Blessings~

Sparkle's Christmas Card Challenge #17

2011-03-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Wednesday! We're at mid point and the weekend is just right. over. there! I can see it! I hope everyone is enjoying their day. It's spring here all of a sudden! We've had cold, and wind and rain, but this morning, I woke up to a clear blue sky and lots of birdsong! I'll take it!

I have been playing with Sparkle and her Elves again. This week's challenge was to have NO STAMPING on your card. GASP! I know, I know! But it can be done you've just got to think about it for a second. Here are the cards I made...

Click to enlarge

This one features a woolie and background paper from BasicGrey's Jovial Collection. I love the eyeballs on these guys! The snowflakes were made using a MS punch and I gave them a sprinkling of SU! Dazzling Diamonds. The little rub-on spot is also from SU!


Click to enlarge

I used a circle Nestie to cut the center. My little friend on the inside and the sentiment are rub-ons. See? Fun stuff, no stamping!

Thank you for dropping in today! Until next time...

Blessings~

Lollipop Crafts Challenge 31

2011-03-28T00:42:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody! It’s time for another Challenge from Lollipop Crafts. This week the digital image is from our sponsor, Just Some Lines. These images are darling and so fun to work with. I decided to use Emo Paula and I think she is adorable! The challenge is to create a non-square/non-rectangle card.

I printed Emo Paula onto White Daisy card stock and colored her with Copic markers. I decided to paper piece her dress. She looked like she needed a little floral dress so that is what I gave her. I colored some of the flowers with a Copic marker and added some tiny twinkles to the centers. I used a bit of green Flower Soft for the grass, then sponged on some New Sprout and Summer Sky ink to create a nice ground and sky effect. I’ve been in a butterfly mood lately, so I added on a few of those too. The focal image was mounted on foam tape.

For the card base, I used a Scalloped Oval Nestie. I created a “hinge” on the back piece so the card could be opened without disturbing the top piece.

Here's a close up for you. I really LOVE those tiny twinkles! Her little dress is sooo sparkly!

Materials Used:

Digital Image: Emo Paula from Just Some Lines

Stamp: Butterfly from Spring Baskets (Waltzingmouse Stamps)

Card stock: White Daisy (CTMH) Soft Sky (SU!)

Patterned Paper: Soft Sky Prints (SU!) Bitty Dot Basics (PTI)

Ink: New Sprout, Summer Sky (Memento) Black Soot Distress Ink (Ranger)

Accessories: Copic markers, Shamrock Green Flower Soft, Tiny Twinkles (Taylored Expressions), Classic Scallop Oval Nestabilities die (Spellbinders) , Spica Clear and Buttermilk glitter pens, Sakura glaze pen, foam squares (3M)

This is my last week of projects for my Guest Designer spot at Lollipop Crafts blog. I have really enjoyed working with a lot of adorable digital images and I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity! Please scroll thru my previous posts to see what you’ve missed and be sure to visit the links that I’ve shared. There are a lot of great digital images available and they are SO affordable Many of the Designers offer FREEBIES or Try Before You Buy images, this way you can give them a try without any worries. If you don’t know how to use digital images, many of the stores have tutorials for you to view…that’s how I learned to use them and now I am hooked!! If you have any questions, please e-mail me.

Thank you for stopping by today. Have a great Monday and I’ll see you back here in a day or two.

Until then…
Blessings~

Sparkle's Christmas Card Challenge #16

2011-03-25T00:01:00.001-07:00

It’s finally Friday and the beginning of Easter break! I'm ready for a little break in my regular routine. I hope to get back into the gym. I've been sitting out due to some issues with my legs and feet. So, feeling better now and I am ready to get back in my water aerobics class! This week I was able to join Sparkle and her creative elves again. I really {heart} creating Christmas cards all year. I play music and light a scented candle...such fun! Now, for our challenge this week, we were given this recipe: Use 1 designer paper, stars and rub-ons.

Here is the card I created. Can you spot the rub-on?

It’s the holly at the end of “Friends”. I accented it with a few tiny twinkles to make it sparkle. I have stars on the cream card stock and I ran that thru my Cuttlebug with a Fiskars ‘Stars’ texture plate. Using a Nestabilities Label One die, I cut out Dark Chocolate card stock and a piece of paper from BasicGrey’s Jovial collection. The focal image is a PSX stamp that I have had for at least 19 years. I stamped that onto cream card stock with Versamark ink and embossed it with gold filigree embossing powder, then inked the edges with Vintage Photo distress ink. I tied on some bakers twine and double stitched ribbon, topped that off with a jaunty little bow, made with my Bow Easy, plopped on a chocolate button tied with a bit more bakers twine and adhered the whole piece onto my card front with dimensionals.

Here is a little peek at the inside. I really like finishing off the insides of my cards. Sometimes, I even do that first! The BG paper you see, is what was left after I used the Nestie to cut it for the focal panel. No waste!

I am so glad you joined me today! I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Until next time…

Blessings~

Christie Angel

2011-03-24T01:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday everyone! I am sharing another fun image from Robyn’s Fetish. She is the sponsor this week at Lollipop Crafts blog. I hope you’ve played along with this week’s challenge, which was to use butterflies on your project. Don’t forget each week brings a new challenge and if you join us, you might just win a prize!

My card today features the adorable Christie Angel.

Click to enlarge

I printed her onto Copic Blending card stock and colored her with Copic markers. I have to say, I’d been hearing a lot of buzz about the X-Press It Copic Blending Card and finally decided to try some. I really like it! The Copics glide over it very nicely and it does make blending a lot easier. Okay, back to the card. The blue/green portion of her outfit was colored with a Juniper inkpad and a Dove Blender pen. Christie Angel has a dusting of Dazzling Diamonds on her wings and her hair bow gets its sparkle from a Sakura glitter pen. That gorgeous background paper is called Butterfly Kisses and it’s from Graphic 45. The coordinating stripe is actually the backside of the butterfly paper. LOVE that! I punched a few butterflies with a Martha Stewart punch and gave them a good sprinkling of glitter too. I added some ribbon and a sassy three loop bow, made with the Bow Easy of course and I topped that off with a bitty button from BasicGrey’s Porcelain collection. Simple card, but it took me FOREVAH to create it! LOL!! Some days it just works out like that.

Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate the visit! I hope your Thursday is AWESOME!

Materials Used:

Digital Image: Christie Angel from Robyn's Fetish

Stamps: Discover Your Wings (Taylored Expressions)

Card stock: X-Press It Blending Card. Melon Berry (Papertrey Ink) Juniper (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: Butterfly Kisses (Graphic 45-Once Upon a Springtime Collection)

Ink: Cantalope, Rich Cocoa (Memento)

Accessories: Copic markers, Oval and Oval Scallop Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders) butterfly punch (Martha Stewart) Dazzling Diamonds (Stampin Up!) Clear glitter pen (Sakura) button (BasicGrey-Porcelain Collection), ribbon from my stash, Bow Easy, ScorBuddy, Cuttlebug, Dimensionals (Stampin Up!) Dove blender pen

Blessings~

Lollipop Crafts Challenge 31-Use Butterflies

2011-03-21T01:42:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I’m back with another card for the Lollipop Crafts blog. I am really having a lot of fun working with these images! Today my digital image is from Robyn’s Fetish and it is called Daisy Days. Her designs are so dang cute and so much fun to color. The challenge was to use butterflies. We would sure love to have you play along with us, you might even win a prize!

Click to enlarge

I printed my image on White Daisy card stock and colored it with Copic markers. I did a bit of paper piecing on this one, using a floral patterned paper by October Afternoon. I added some grass with my Copics to ground my little darling and then I lightly sponged on a little Memento New Sprout ink. I also sponged on a bit of Summer Sky around the top portion of the focal image and inked the edges in Cantaloupe. I used a Fiskars “Whimsy” texture plate to add some fun butterflies to the Summer Sunrise card stock. I just ran it thru the Cuttlebug. I also used the adorable bitty butterfly from my Spring Baskets set by Waltzingmouse Stamps. LOVE that little guy! I stamped them onto Sweet Corn card stock and they were given a sprinkle of Lemon Drop glitter. The sweet little cloud was cut with a small cloud die and I inked the edges with Memento Summer Sky then stamped the “Hi!” with Pure Poppy ink. I used a few Spica glitter pens on the flowers and leaves to give them a subtle sparkle. A Stampin Up! border punch was used to create the edge for the bottom of the card. I made a bow using the Bow Easy and topped it off with a cute little red button.

Materials Used:

Digital Image: Daisy Days from Robyn’s Fetish

Stamps: “Hi!” from For Every Occasion (CTMH) Butterfly from Spring Baskets (Waltzingmouse Stamps)

Card stock: Aqua Mist, Summer Sunrise, Pure Poppy (PTI) White Daisy (CTMH) Sweet Corn (GinaK Designs)

Patterned Paper: Seaside Collection (October Afternoon)

Ink: Pure Poppy (PTI) Black (CTMH) Summer Sky, New Sprout, Cantaloupe (Memento)

Accessories: Copic markers, Aqua Mist satin ribbon (PTI) Bow Easy, Playground button (SU!) Fiskars Texture Plate “Whimsy”, Cuttlebug, Lemon Drop glitter (Martha Stewart Crafts), Spica glitter pens in Buttermilk and Clear, Dimensionals (SU!), Scallop Trim border punch (SU!), Cloud die (PTI)

As always, thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful Monday.

Blessings~

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T02:23:00.000-07:00

Today I am sharing a St. Patrick’s Day card, featuring a lovely bunch of shamrocks. This is a FREE digital image from Waltzingmouse Stamps.

Click to enlarge.

I printed the image on to White Daisy card stock, lightly sponged with Memento Desert Sand ink and then colored the image with Copic markers. Each shamrock was also treated to a quick scribble with a green Spica glitter pen. AND…I sewed on my card!! This was the very first time for me. I’ve seen this done often and I’ve always admired it, but I felt a bit intimidated by the whole process. I finally decided to give it a go and I am so glad I did, because I love the final result. The patterned papers are from the Minuet collection by Memory Box...these are such gorgeous papers! I created the sentiment on my computer, since I do not have a 'Happy St. Patrick's Day' stamp. I printed it on to White Daisy card stock and die cut it with a Nestabilities Fancy Tag die. I used two green gems from Kaisercraft to add a bit of bling.

Sooo…does anyone have any special plans for today? We are doing our usual. To take a little peek at what we do, click HERE and HERE.

May your blessings outnumber

The shamrocks that grow,

And may trouble avoid you

Wherever you go.

~An Irish Blessing~

Thanks for the visit! Have a wonderful day!

Blessings~

Lollipop Crafts Challenge 30

2011-03-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I’m back again with a card for the Lollipop Crafts blog. If you’ve never visited, please take a moment to do so, you’re in for a real treat, because there is soo much going on over there! The challenge this week was to use lace.

I decided to create a quick and easy card for this challenge. As many of you know, I have a love affair with paper. My friend often teases me about ‘being with my paper’ when I’m stressed out or worried about something. I don’t know, there’s just something about thumbing thru all the beautiful colors and patterns that calms me. So for my card today, I used a gorgeous piece of patterned paper, from the Minuet Collection, by Memory Box. LOVE.LOVE. LOVE these papers! I didn’t want to cover the design, so I only added a butterfly.

Click image to enlarge

First, I stamped the image directly onto my patterned paper, three reasons for this; One, for perfect placement. Two, to create a shadow. And three, for the butterfly antennae. I inked the edges of the patterned paper with distress ink and mounted it onto a piece of Spring Rain card stock. Then, I stamped the sentiment right on the card stock using a Stamp-a-ma-jig and accented it with chocolate pearls. I added lace and a bit of ribbon. Next, I stamped the butterfly onto GinaK Designs heavy base weight white card stock. I colored it with Copics and then sponged Antique Photo distress ink over him to tone down the colors a bit. I gave the little fella a spritz of shimmer spray, added chocolate pearls to the body and adhered the butterfly down with foam tape. Notice how the wings are curved upward…it looks so pretty in real life. The GinaK heavy base weight card stock is very sturdy and can stand up to a lot and still hold its shape well. And there you have it… Quick and easy.

Here is a close up of that beautiful butterfly...

Materials Used:

Stamps: Flutter by Butterfly (Inque Boutique) “Pursue Happiness” from Discover Your Wings (Taylored Expressions)

Card stock: Heavy Base Weight white, Chocolate Kiss (GinaK Designs) Spring Rain, Vintage Cream (PTI)

Patterned Paper: Sheet Music from the Minuet Collection (Memory Box)

Ink: Rich Cocoa (Memento) Soft Suede (SU!) Vintage Photo Distress Ink (Ranger) Versamark (Tsukineko)

Accessories: chocolate pearls ( Recollections), lace(Wrights), chocolate satin ribbon (Offray), shimmer spray, foam tape (3M), Stamp-a-ma-jig, Inkssentials blending tool and sponges(Ranger)

Thanks for the visit! Have a happy Monday!

Blessings~

2011 Christmas Card Challenge #14

2011-03-10T11:27:00.000-08:00

This week I was able to play along with Sparkle and her Elves for their weekly Christmas card challenge. I participated quite a bit last year and I was so pleased to have all of my Christmas cards made before Halloween. I kept playing along with the challenge right on thru December, so I could get a head start on the cards for this year. Sparkle suggests we make two cards at a time to increase our stash quickly and I think that is a fabulous idea! The challenge this week was to use this sketch.

The Sketch…

My card…

I chose to use one of my favorite Stampin’ Up sets, Winter Post. I just love the graceful ice skaters. I stamped them onto Vintage Cream card stock (PTI), using Tuxedo Black ink. I colored the couple with Copic markers and used a Sakura white gel pen on the fur portions. I also stamped out a few snowflakes, in Juniper ink (CTMH) on the image panel, using a set from GinaK Designs called The Giving Tree. I put tiny twinkles (Taylored Expressions) in the center of some of the snowflakes and matted the focal panel with Juniper card stock (CTMH) and True Black card stock (PTI). The papers I used are from BasicGrey’s Jovial Collection and they are matted with True Black card stock (PTI). I added a bit of cream grosgrain ribbon (Offray) and called it finished. I love quick and easy cards!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day.

Blessings~

Princess Mouse

2011-03-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! The card I am sharing today features another adorable digital image from Meljens Designs. Did I mention how much I {heart} these images? Let me introduce you to Princess Mouse…

click to enlarge

Isn’t she just the cutest little thing? I printed her onto White Daisy card stock and colored her with Copic markers. I cut her out with an oval Nestabilities die and lightly sponged the edges while the image panel was still in the die. Then I added glitter, a bit of glitter pen and a few tiny twinkles. I pulled out my Daydream paper packet and finally put those papers to good use. I just love shopping in my craft closet…I find the neatest things in there!~smiles~ Next, I punched a border from Blush card stock and glued that to the lower edge of my focal panel. I added some ribbon and tied on the little charm. And finally, I adhered the focal panel to the card base with Dimensionals. There you have it!

Here is a little close up shot for you. Just look at all that glittery goodness!

Materials Used:

Digital Image: Princess Mouse by Meljens Designs
Card stock: Sweet Leaf, Blush, White Daisy (CTMH)
Paper: Daydream Paper Packet (CTMH)
Ink: Tuxedo Black, Cantaloupe (Memento), Blush (CTMH)
Accessories: Copic markers, glitter pen (Sakura), Tiny Twinkles (Taylored Expressions), Tourmaline glitter (Martha Stewart Crafts), Dimensionals (SU!) Pinking Hearts Border punch (SU!), ‘sweet’ charm (CTMH), pink grosgrain ribbon, Bow Easy, Scor-Buddy

Thanks for the visit! Have a wonderful Wednesday.

Blessings~

Lollipop Crafts Challenge 29

2011-03-07T00:15:00.000-08:00

Good Monday Morning! Today, I have the honor of playing along with my first Challenge on the Lollipop Crafts blog. Once, you’re finished here, scoot on over to the blog and take a look-see at all the goings on over there! It’s a really fun place, where all types of crafts are featured, not just cards! So go have a look! But before you do…

I used the February sketch from SFYTT for my card.

The Challenge this week was to use any animal on a project and I used Sick Little Bear from Meljens Designs. I love working with digital images because I can make them whatever size I need. Let me just say that the images I received from Meljens are SUPER cute! The little critters have so much personality and their faces are just adorable! I printed this little guy onto White Daisy card stock and colored him with Copic markers. I cut and embossed the focal image with a Circle Nestie, then sponged on Cantaloupe Memento ink, while the focal panel was still in the die. I adhered the image with foam tape. I stamped my sentiment right onto the patterned paper and added those sweet little red heart brads. A bright green bow topped with a Lemon Tart button was the finishing touch.

Materials Used:

Digital Image: Sick Little Bear by Meljens Designs

Cardstock: Sweet Leaf, Buttercup, White Daisy (CTMH)

Paper: Sugar Rush Collection (BasicGrey)

Ink: Black (CTMH) Cantaloupe (Memento)

Accessories: Copic Markers, Sakura glaze pen , Sakura glitter pen, Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders) , Lemon Tart Button (PTI) , Bow Easy, heart brads, green ribbon, foam tape (3M)

Thank you so much for dropping by today. Have a fantastic Monday!

Blessings~

Hi!

2011-03-01T00:05:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! It’s March first…already! Time just seems to move in nano seconds for me these days. I hope you all had wonderful weekends. I have to confess, I did not clean my kitchen. Ah! I just couldn’t do it. We had really rainy, frosty weather and I stayed in my jammies, watching movies and reading. I figured the kitchen would be right where I left it on Monday morning...and I was right. Blech!

I do have some fun news to share, though…the very talented Alanna, from Alanna’s Spot in the World has invited me to be a guest designer for this month on the Lollipop Crafts blog. Of course, I accepted! It is such a fun place! If you’ve never visited,take a moment to do so,you will not be disappointed. I have an opportunity to work with some very generous sponsors and I’m excited to share my projects with all of you over the next few weeks.

But for today, I have this little guy to show you. My card features a digital image from Meljens Designs. Isn't her cute? I colored him with Prisma pencils. He's got a little bling on his shell, because in my world, no card is complete without some kind of sparkle!

Materials Used:

Digital Image: Turtle by Meljens Designs

Stamp: “Hi” from For Every Occasion (CTMH)

Cardstock: Aqua Mist, New Leaf (PTI), Only Orange (SU!) White Daisy (CTMH)

Paper: Cheeky Collection-Emery (Making Memories)

Ink: Chocolate (CTMH) Summer Sky (Memento)

Accessories: Prisma pencils, Square Scallop Nestabilities, Bloom Dots embossing folder, New Leaf Button, Crystal Ice Stickles, Martha Stewart Round Scallop punch, chocolate brad, chocolate grosgrain ribbon, foam tape

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great Tuesday!

Blessings~

Simple, but Sweet.

2011-02-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! February always goes by so quickly. It’s such a pretty retail month. I love all the hearts and fluffy stuff. Anywho… I have a few more Valentine’s to share today. These are the cards I made for my girls. I used a Fiskars texture plate to create the heart background. The plates run beautifully through the Cuttlebug. I am so pleased that I retrieved them from my pile of discards, giving them ‘one more chance’ to be used. I found ‘the sandwich’ for using them on YouTube. The cards are simple, but sweet. I used Stickles and my shimmer spray to give them a bit of sparkle. All materials used are from Papertrey Ink, with the exception of the ribbon.

According to our weather reports, we are in for some rain for the next few days. I am glad it’s the weekend. We don’t have any big plans; I just like being home when it rains. I hope to spend time in my studio and I am thinking about deep cleaning the kitchen. I’ve organized all of my cupboards, my baking island and the pantry already. Now it’s time to tackle the oven and the cook top. ..jobs I abhor! We have a double oven. The top oven is self-cleaning, the bottom oven is not…who’s idea was that?! So it needs to be cleaned the old-fashioned way. It’s my baking oven, so it’s not real bad. Speaking of baking…I have been baking again…cupcakes. And now I am searching for the BEST tasting strawberry frosting recipe EVER! If you have one and are willing to share it, please e-mail it to me.

I thank you for taking the time to stop by today. I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Blessings~

I Am Still Here...

2011-02-23T11:24:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I have been MIA, I know, I know…I am working on a few things that I am excited to share with you in the next few weeks. But today, I wanted to show you the altered note pads I’ve been working on. I created several of these, to be used as table favors for a luncheon my Mom is hosting. I really enjoyed putting these together, but can you say TIME CONSUMING?! Oh my word! Here is how these came together… I used CTMH White Daisy card stock. First, I stamped the eagle, using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then covered him with a mask. I sponged on my clouds-my favorite part-it just adds so much dimension and depth and really gives the feeling that the eagle is in flight-LOVE it! Then I stamped the verse. I used Memento Tuxedo Black for this, too. Next, I removed the mask and colored the eagle with Copic markers and inked the edges of the image panel. Then, I put the mask back on the eagle and sprayed the image panel with shimmer spray. I wanted the sky to sparkle, but not the bird. And finally, I adhered the panel to the note pad using SookWang tape, which is the same as Scor-Tape, but without the high price. Easy peasy!

Click on image to enlarge.

stamp set: On Eagles' Wings~Our Daily Bread Designs.

Thank you so much for visiting with me today!

Blessings~

Sent With Love-Ooh La La

2011-02-11T14:11:00.000-08:00

Whew! I made it to Friday!! It has been one trying week and I am looking forward to pretty much doing nothing over the weekend. Our internet service has been out all month so, I’ve been making daily treks to the library. Can I just say how ‘un-fun’ that is?! Oh my word!! Anyway, hopefully service will be restored this weekend. And if not, I’ll be right back at the library on Monday morning.

Monday is Valentine’s Day! I love this time of year. I can indulge myself by wearing all of my pink and red glittery hearts and no one will cast any sideways glances. I wear lots of pink and red all year, but more so in the month of February. This month is also the birth month of one of my favorite ladies. My sweet grandmother, Beatrice, who would be celebrating her 100th birthday, if she were alive! If you’ve been a reader of my blog for a while, you’ll know that I had a wonderful and very special relationship with my beautiful grandmother. I have mentioned her often, so I thought I would share her favorite picture of herself with you.

This was photographed in the hallway of her home. I remember this house very well. It was huge; three stories, with an attic and a basement. Two areas I did not frequent because I was sorely afraid of ghosts, witches and goblins. All of whom I was certain inhabited those places. The house had two parlors and a long winding staircase. The backyard was big, too with lots of fruit trees. My grandmother was quite the socialite. She loved having ‘fancy dinner’ parties. She was an excellent chef and caterer, the Martha Stewart of her time. She worked for celebrities like, Lucille Ball, Jerry Lewis, Rex Harrison and Jack Benny to name a few. She was truly a remarkable woman. Yesterday was her birthday and we had some very delicious cupcakes in her honor! :)

I do have a card to share today. This is yet another image from the Sent With Love Stamp TV kit. I love all things Paris, and I thought this little Eiffel Tower was adorable. I played along with the sketch challenge over at Stamp TV.

Here is the sketch.

Here is my card.

I used BasicGrey Sugar Rush paper. The card stock is from SU! The image is colored with Copics and the ribbon is from Ellen Hutson's Online store. This is not a good picture. It looks a lot better in real life. Anywho...Recently, I have been asked about my bows. I have to say that my grandmother was a FANATIC about beautiful gift presentation and I learned at a very young age how to wrap gifts and tie bows. On all of the cards I posted previously, I just tied a simple bow like she taught me. But lately, I have been using the Bow Easy. What I like about the Bow Easy is that I get a perfect bow every time, unlike the ones I tie, that usually require a bit of fussing over to get them the way I like them.

Long post from me today! Guess I was feeling a bit chatty. As always, I thank you so much for the visit. I hope you all have fabulous plans for the weekend. I'm going to rest and I'll see you right back here next week. Take care everybody...

Blessings~

One More Gumball Machine Card

2011-02-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday everyone! Whew...this has been some week. I am looking forward to a quiet weekend and hopefully all of my family members will be well. There is some sort of virus running thru the house right now and it is really taking a toll on us. Thankfully, I have not gotten it, but everyone else has and it does not look like a fun time.

I have been in my studio playing with my gumball machine stamp again. I made a lot of different styles of this card and I promise, I won't bore you with post after post of gumball machine cards. But I do want to share one more. I paper pieced this one and I really like how it turned out.

Click on image to enlarge.

I made this one for one of Patricia's male friends. She is giving her friends handmade Valentine's this year. Since she is in high school now, she "can't give out those dorky ones they sell at Wal-Mart". That's funny to me, because, just last year, those 'dorky ones' from Wal-Mart was all she wanted. What a difference a year makes! And so, that is what my stamping time in my studio will consist of this weekend and believe me, I am not complaining!

I thank you so much for stopping by today. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Blessings~

Sent With Love-Gumball Machine

2011-01-28T16:54:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great week! I created a card using my Stamp TV kit again. I just love those images! Today, I used the gumball machine. I think this is my favorite image in the set. It reminds me of when I was a little girl. I had a shiny, red gumball machine, on a dresser in my bedroom. I loved chewing gum as a kid and my dad would keep it stocked with colorful gumballs. I even had to use pennies in it to get the gum.

The colors for this card were inspired by the color challenge over at Stamp TV.

Here are the colors...

Here is my card...

Click on image to enlarge.

I also used my Fiskars Impression plates to get the hearts onto the red card stock. They don't show up real well here. I like the subtle texture the plates add. I used a Stampin Up! punch to create the heart border along the bottom. The sentiment is from THIS set by Papertrey Ink and I used two more punches from SU! for the sentiment. My image was colored with Copic markers.

I finished off the inside, as well. I used another SU! punch for the hearts. The sentiment stamp is from Michael's dollar spot. I fell in love with the font and just had to have it!

Here's a little close up. I used my Martha Stewart glitter on the ''machine'' portion of the image. LOVE that stuff. This color is called Garnet. I've been buying the glitter in holiday sets when they go on sale at Michael's. I got the Halloween set, the Autumn set, I missed the Christmas set, but I was able to grab the Valentine's Day set. I know they can be purchased all in one, but I like the thrill of the hunt! I used a Sakura glaze pen on the hearts. Not only does it give shine, it also adds texture, because when you run your fingers over the image, you can feel the hearts.

I made this card for Victoria's beau. He's away fulfilling military duties right now. And just between you and me...she is sooo missing him, that she's been keeping busy, not only with school, but also with cleaning the house! I really like that part!

As always, I thank you so much for visiting with me today. I hope you have wonderful things planned for the weekend.

Blessings~

Hey There Cupcake!

2011-01-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

Merry Monday, friends! I thought I would share a cheery card today. Something in warm, sunny colors to brighten the day for those of you dealing with harsh weather conditions. I used my Cupcake Collection stamps from Papertrey Ink, the patterned papers are from the Modern Homemaker collection by October Afternoon, I used ink and embossing powder from CTMH, the tiny twinkle is from Taylored Expressions and that yummy double sided ribbon is from my stash. I also used a bit of the paper to line an envelope to pull it all together.

Click image to enlarge.

I just love cupcakes and this set is A-dorable. I like that I can mix and match the cups and the tops. I can add sprinkles or a candle or just leave it plain. Such a versatile set. Here's a close up of all that glittery goodness on the cupcake.

I colored the cupcake with Copic markers and stamped and embossed the sprinkles with cranberry embossing powder. Then I added glue and covered the image with glitter.

I hope that you had a wonderful weekend. Thank you for stopping by today. I appreciate the visit!

Blessings~

Sent With Love-Cake

2011-01-19T00:28:00.000-08:00

Hello friends...Today I am showing another whimsical image from Gina K's Sent With Love Stamp TV kit. To read more about that, scroll down and check out my previous post.

In addition to having color challenges, Gina and her cast also have sketch challenges. You can see this week's sketch HERE.

And here is my take...

All supplies are from the Sent With Love kit; card stock, ribbon, patterned paper and stamp. The glitter is from Martha Stewart Crafts. I also used a Cuttlebug embossing folder, circle and scalloped circle Nestabilities and I colored my image with Copic markers. This stamp set is quite different from what I usually purchase. I don't normally like whimsical and cartoon-like stamps, but this set has such cute images I couldn't resist. Hopefully on Friday, I'll have another one ready to post for you.

We have been enjoying some wonderful weather in our neck of the woods. I've been wearing sundresses and sandals for the last several days and it's still January! This is a photograph that my daughter shot while walking around our neighborhood. Yes! It's so warm here, that folks were actually boating this weekend!

As always, I thank you so much for stopping by. Have a great Wednesday! Until next time...

Blessings~

Sent With Love-Cuckoo Clock

2011-01-17T15:46:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. I'm back, rested and ready to create...I think. Anyway, today I have a Valentine's Day card to share. All supplies are from Gina K Designs, the Stamp TV kit, called Sent with Love. To learn more about this kit, click HERE. I am head over heals in love with the images from this sweet set, so be prepared to see cards featuring them in the next week or so. If you've never purchased a Stamp TV kit from Gina K, you're really missing out. They are such a great value...you get loads of delicious card stock, yards and yards of yummy ribbon, a lil' bag of brads and/or eyelets and some kits even have coordinating patterned papers. Everything comes in a nifty plastic storage box so all your goodies stay together. Okay, on to the card...

I made this one for Gina's color challenge. You can see details for that HERE. I decided to use the darling little cuckoo clock image to make a gatefold card.

Click on photo to see detail.

Cute image, right? I know! I was excited to discover that the colors in Basic Grey's Curio line, coordinated with the colors in the challenge. I stamped the image onto the paper, so I could do some paper piecing. The rest of the image is colored with Copic markers and I lightly sponged the focal, while still in the die, using Antique Linen Distress ink by Tim Holtz. I used oval Nesties to die cut the focal piece. And of course, I had to decorate the inside too...

The 'cuckoo for you' sentiment is one of the many cute phrases from the Stamp TV kit. The 'Happy Valentine's Day' stamp is from Michael's dollar bin. You may notice the sweet little birdie in the lower right corner of the card. That little guy is from this stamp set HERE. The border punch is from Stampin Up!, the bitty hearts are from a punch I've had for years and I used inks from CTMH.

Thank you for visting with me today! I appreciate it!
Blessings~

Hi Everyone...

2011-01-06T15:42:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say hello...I have been working on a few things that I am anxious to share. And some of you sent me wonderful Christmas greetings over the Holidays and I will post those too. But today I am sharing a picture of my winter tablescape. This beauty graces our dining room table until the end of January.

Click on photo to enlarge.

Thank you for dropping in...Have a great weekend!

Blessings~

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T11:50:00.000-08:00

Can you believe 2011 is almost here?! I hope you all have some fun plans for ringing in the New Year! We're planning a quiet celebration, as usual. I'll be making my seafood gumbo and peach cobbler, we'll watch the ball drop in Times Square and then the Twilight Zone marathon. We really enjoy being home on New Year's Eve. It gives us time to reflect on the past year and to set goals for the new one.

I appreciate each of you for spending time with me in 2010, visiting my blog and leaving sweet comments. You'll never know how much those mean to me. I wish everyone a very happy, healthy, safe, prosperous and blessed New Year!

Cheers!

Blessings~

Taking a Break...

2010-12-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends! As is typical this time of year, I find myself with more things to do, than there are hours in my day...I hope that you all have a wonderful Holiday...Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Take some time out for yourself...to relax and enjoy a nice hot cup of Christmas tea.

Blessings~