Merry Christmas to All!

Santa has already made his stop here in New England. Even brought us the White Christmas that I've been hoping for! Our Blogger's Challenge theme for today is Christmas, so I thought that I'd share some of the crafty things that we've been up to at home. First up is the gingerbread house that my little one and I decorated at one of the local Historic Inns. They bake the gingerbread for you and put it all together and then they give you a heaping bag of frosting and an array of candy to decorate it with while you enjoy their homemade treats and hot cocoa. It's a fun, family event! I especially love the Santa chocolate that we added coming out of the chimney.

I've been stamping too! I made a lot of cards for gifts, but didn't take pictures of any (yes, I know...very smart of me...lol!) I also made a lot of these treats for DH to take to work. When he managed to bring one back home, I quickly took a photograph before anyone ate it! The idea came from Becky Roberts' blog. I used Stampin' Up's Deer Friends set with my punches, a few York Peppermint Patties, some festive ribbon from Michaels, and a pretzel bag to contain it all.The last thing that I wanted to share with you is something that my DH and I create each year for the Christmas season. Our honeymoon was spent in Colonial Williamsburg and we've been lucky enough to go back on a few other occasions. One of those times was during the Christmas season and we immediately fell in love with all of the colonial Christmas decorations that they make there. One of our favorites is the traditional Williamsburg Apple Cone. It is made with fresh fruit, boxwood, and magnolia leaves. Even though the apples are attached to a nail-studded wooden cone, they last through the holiday season and their fragrance makes the house feel so cozy. This year, it looks wonderful on top of my Grandmother's old Singer sewing machine.

Hope you enjoyed some of our Christmas traditions and treats. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and many blessings for the New Year! Thanks so much for visiting today...Toodles! :D

Happy Bird-day!

Happy Friday to you! This week's Blogger's Challenge theme is called "Happy Birthday" or as I like to call it..."Happy Bird-day!" My main image is a digi stamp from Pink Cat Studio. I colored the birds with my Prismas and the cupcake with my markers, and then I used my Nesties to cut it out. The left corner needed a little something, so I added an Old Olive ribbon knot. I think that this image works perfectly with this sentiment from A Muse Artstamps, so I paired them up together. I dressed up the sentiment with a polka dotted Doodlebug Designs button. The faux stitched piece is a strip of Cool Caribbean and that is layered onto some retired Stampin' Up Designer Paper.

If you're looking for some beautiful ideas for birthday cards, you can see what the other Ladies in the Blogger's Challenge group have come up with here.

I hope that all of your Christmas and holiday preparations are going well and that you are staying warm. Winter has hit New England already! We got about six inches of the fluffy stuff this week! Yippee! Thank you so much for stopping by today...Toodles! :D

It's Friday!

Where did the week go? I can't believe that today is already Friday! Has anyone out there braved the crowds and gone shopping yet today? If you did, I hope that you found everything you were shopping for! Luckily, my Christmas shopping is just about finished. I try to be done by December 1st each year, and then I just have the handmade items to worry about. My list always includes a lot of adults, and they receive something to open and them some good ole cash or a gift card from us. I usually need something to put the cash or gift cards in. Last year, I bought little tins and filled them with wrapped candies and then added the gift card. This year, when I went tin shopping with my Mom, the tins seemed so expensive. The ones that were $1.29 last year were $3.59 this year! That just seemed like a lot to spend for packaging. My Mom talked me into the idea that I could come up with something "crafty" instead of spending over $40.00 on tins that would probably get thrown away. I have always wanted to try a Box in a Bag (if you'd like to as well, the link is here) so I thought that I'd give it a try. I was surprised how quick and easy these came together. I think I have found what is going to be this year's packaging for all of the adults in the family. It holds just the right amount of candy and then I can stick a gift card in there as well.

This little project is for today's Blogger's Challenge - Alter It! Now that I think about it. I didn't actually alter an item, but I guess I altered a piece of patterned paper. I hope that counts! If you'd like more ideas for altered items, just click on the Blogger's Challenge logo in my right side bar.

I went with this eggplant plaid paper (Chatterbox) because my sister in law loves purple. I think that she'll be pleased with this. I added the Santa to make it look a little more Christmas-y and because this week's High Hopes Rubber Stamps challenge is to use one of their many Santa images. With all of the HH stamps that I have, I can't believe that I only have this teeny, tiny, Santa!!! I guess I'll just need to buy a few more stamps...lol!

I'm really hoping for a low stress holiday this year. I'm thrilled that I have one Box in a Bag complete and only 13 more to go!! Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope that you have a wonderful day...Toodles! :D

Giving Thanks!

I know...I'm late! Blogger's Challenge was two days ago, but I couldn't get to my stamping room because my DH put in a new hardwood floor in the hallway. I'm still cleaning up the after effects, but I wanted to sneak in some creating time. Our BC theme this week is called, "Giving Thanks". I decided to give thanks for little Pilgrim boys riding turkeys...lol! I must admit. I'm very thankful for these digital images from Pink Cat Studio. They are so adorable! This one is colored up with Prismas and blended with baby oil. The corner needed a little something, so I attached a Doodlebug Designs button with a piece of May Arts ribbon. Next, I added one of the Pink Cat Studio's FREE online sentiments. The patterned papers were in the very bottom of my paper stash! They are from Creative Memories. I'm thinking that they are at least ten years old! (Glad to finally be putting them to use!) Then, while I was blog hopping on the laptop, I found the Crazy 4 Challenges blog. That is where my sketch came from.

If you'd like to see what the other Ladies in the Blogger's Challenge group have been up to, just click here. Thanks so much for stopping by today...Toodles! :D

Happy Fall Y'All!

Happy Friday Everyone! This week's Blogger's Challenge is called Happy Fall Y'All! I knew that I just had to use my new High Hopes Rubber Stamp called Milton's Fall Harvest. In fact, this sketch is from the HHRS challenge this week. (You can find that here.) Milton is colored up with Prismas that I blended with baby oil. He is mounted on Stampin' Up's Not Quite Navy. That color matched my new Farm Fresh papers from October Afternoon perfectly. The card base and faux stitched panel are made with Stampin' Up's Chocolate Chip. The sentiment is an oldie, but goodie from the dollar bin at Michaels and then I used my SU punches for the ovals. I added a few American Crafts buttons on the bottom to complete my card. For more Autumn inspiration, just click here and you'll be able to check out what the other Ladies from the BC group came up with. Thanks so much for visiting...Toodles! :D

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge!

I was up early this morning, so I thought that I'd try my hand at Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge. (However, it's been such a busy day that I'm just posting now...lol!) I quickly drew her sketch on a piece of scrap paper and then got to work. Amazingly, I ended up using the same retired, Stampin' Up designer paper that she did. How did that happen?!?! I didn't even notice until I finished the card and then started this blog post. Sorry Karen! I didn't mean to copy you. It just happened that way...ugh!

Except for the ribbon (May Arts), the scalloped rectangle (Spellbinders Nestibilities) and the button (American Crafts), everything else is from Stampin' Up. The tree is from the Thoughts and Prayers set. I colored it with Chocolate Chip and Always Artichoke ink. The sentiment is from the Warmest Regards set and it is stamped in Bravo Burgandy. I added a bit of faux stitching to the Kraft card base and in the corners. We were given another beautiful Autumn day here in New England. November and 60 degrees!! I'll take it! Thanks so much for stopping by...Toodles! :D

Stampavie Sketch Challenge!

Happy Saturday! I've been down for the count two days this week with some nasty migraine headaches, but when I've started to feel better, I've headed to my stamping room. Sometimes stamping is just what the doctor has ordered.

Here is my contribution to the sketch challenge that you can find over on the Stampavie Blog.This is another one of their new stamps from Helz Cuppleditch. It's called Ruffles Get Well Soon . I just love all of their different Ruffles the pup images. This one is colored up with Prismas. I've layered him onto Stampin' Up's Night of Navy, and I used my Nesties for the circle and the scalloped circle. My Chatterbox designer paper is layered onto SU's Pumpkin Pie. The sentiment is from High Hopes and punched with some Stampin' Up punches. I've added some Pumpkin Pie grosgrain and a few Making Memories buttons to finish this one off.

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend! It's chilly, but beautiful weather here in New England today. Thanks for visiting...Toodles! :D

Blogger's Challenge!

Two days of blogging in a row for me...can you believe it? I can't...lol! I guess that is what happens when you have a clean area to work in...lol!

Since I began stamping, I have wanted to try the Cracked Glass Technique (click HERE for directions). I bought all of the products that I needed and I couldn't wait to give it a whirl. That was four years ago...lol!

This week's Blogger's Challenge was the perfect time to finally put all of those products to good use. Our challenge is to "Pick a Technique". So here it is...my first try at Cracked Glass. (You can see the cracks better if you click on the photograph.) I think that the technique is fantastic! It was so neat once I pulled my piece out of the freezer and started cracking it!

My main image and sentiment is from Stampin' Up!'s Upsy Daisy set. I also used Stampin' Up!'s So Saffon, Old Olive, and Chocolate Chip. I finished off the Chocolate strip with some faux stitching. Are you interested in trying a few new techniques? Just click on the Blogger's Challenge logo in my right side bar for some ideas. Thanks so much for stopping by today...Toodles! :D

A Snowy Sketch!

Happy Thursday Everyone! I have been working on this one all week. But before I could post it, I just had to clean up my stamping area. What a mess! I haven't had time to stamp AND clean up after myself, so I've just been stamping...lol! However, I couldn't take it anymore and decided that I HAD to clean!

This creation (please click on the photograph for a better look) is for Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge and the Snowflakes Challenge over on the High Hopes Rubber Stamps blog. Apparently, I do not own any snowflake punches, buttons, dies, or brads! (I see a shopping trip in the very near future...lol!) So I decided to go with some snowflake paper (retired, Stampin' Up!) from my stash. My little holiday trio is from High Hopes Rubber Stamps and the sentiment is from Michaels' Dollar Bin. I've added a few Doodlebug Designs buttons with a bit of faux stitching and of course, some Star Dust Stickles.

Thanks so much for dropping by. I'll be back tomorrow with this week's Blogger's Challenge...Toodles! :D

Happy Halloween Matey!

I can't believe that tomorrow will be Halloween! It looks like the weather in our neck of the woods will be cooperating for all of the local ghosts and goblins to go trick or treating. Our pumpkin has been carved into a jack-o-lantern and I haven't eaten all of the candy yet, so we are more than ready for Halloween here...lol!

I made this card for this week's Blogger's Challenge (Halloween theme) and the challenge over on the High Hopes Rubber Stamps blog (All About Kids). My card base is Stampin' Up's Pumpkin Pie and I used the Canvas background stamp on it to add some texture. The patterned paper is from Doodlebug Designs. The ribbon is from May Arts. My main image is High Hopes' On Guard Oberto. I colored him up with my Prismacolor Pencils and then blended the colors with baby oil. I got a little bit of help from my computer for the sentiment.

Let's hope that you all have more treats than tricks tomorrow! Thanks so much for visiting with me today. Have a Happy Halloween...Toodles! :D

No Layers and No Hands!

Happy Friday! It has seemed like such a long week! I am SO looking forward to this weekend! We don't have anything special planned, but it will be nice to just hang out at home and get a few things done around the house.

I was thrilled that this week's Blogger's Challenge was "No Layers" because with this week being so CRAZY, I needed to go with quick and simple! That's what I think of when I hear, "no layers". There wasn't any extra paper to cut or matching designer papers or gluing...it was just quick and simple! I used another one of the new digital images from Pink Cat Studio and I just made the sentiment on the computer (however, Melissa has FREE sentiments over on her site! I'm just not clever enough with the computer to import two images on the same document...lol!) After my little owl friends were printed, I colored them up with Fibracolor markers. They are just regular markers that I picked up at Michaels. With a coupon, I think they were $10.00 for 100 markers! For that price...I just had to give them a try, and I must say that I'm happy with the results! I finished this one off with a strip of polka dotted grosgrain (I made all of the polka dots in this image match the ribbon!) So here it is...my attempt at a card without layers!

Be sure to check out what the other Ladies in the challenge group have come up with. Just click on the Blogger's Challenge logo in my right side bar. I hope that you really enjoy your day, and thanks so much for visiting with me...Toodles! :D

Digital Stamps!!!

Happy Friday! This week's Blogger's Challenge is to "Alter It". I'm never very good at these types of things, but a challenge is a challenge, so here is my altered little container from Michaels. I have a bunch of these in my stash (even though I'm not fond of altering...lol!) I thought that they'd make cute little gifts. This one is for my dear friend's little girl for Halloween.

I fell in love with Pink Cat Studio's Digital Stamps this past weekend! This is Itty Bitty Betty with her yummy frogs! How cute is she! These stamps are so adorable and fun to color! I was a little cautious because I do not have a laser printer at the house, but they printed beautifully with my HP Photosmart printer. I let the image dry for a little while after printing (15 minutes or so) and then I used my Prismas and baby oil to color it up. It worked perfectly! I'm just thrilled to pieces! I bought a Thanksgiving image as well, and they just released some owl images (I'll be doing more shopping this weekend...lol!)

The other details for my little container include Stampin' Up's retired Halloween Designer Paper (which I sanded the edges of), my Nesties, a few brads, and a bunch of ribbon scraps. I really like how it turned out. Of course it will be even better when it's filled with Halloween treats...lol! For more ideas with altered items, just click on the Blogger's Challenge logo in my right side bar. Enjoy the rest of your evening! Thank you so much for visiting today...Toodles! :D

One of My Firsts!

I've had some extra time to do some Blog Hopping this weekend. In my travels, I found a new challenge to try. Karen Giron has these wonderful sketches on her blog and has a sketch challenge each Sunday. They are on #39 of the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge. (Yes, I've been apparently living under a rock...lol!) It was such a fun sketch that I had to give it a try. I went through my stamps and found my retired Halloween Hedgehogs. It was one of my very first sets from Stampin' Up! I so {heart} these hedgehogs! They are one of the reasons that I started stamping. After all, you can pretty them up and they are so cute...lol!

Along with my sweet, little hedgehogs, I used Stampin' Up's Real Red, Kraft, and a piece of retired Bashful Blue designer paper. The ovals are cut out with my Nesties and the ribbon is from May Arts. I've added a little bit of faux stitching, some Star Dust Stickles on the water, and a few brads to complete this creation. Thanks so much for stopping by today. Enjoy the rest of your day...Toodles! :D

Happy Friday!

This week's Blogger's Challenge is a fantastic sketch from our challenge Mom, Lisa Somerville. I was able to use one of my new Stampavie stamps. This is a Helz Cuppleditch image. The original image has three little chicks with this cute pup, but I didn't ink them up for this creation. He's colored up with Prismacolor Pencils and then I used my Nesties for the classic circle and the Chocolate Chip scallop circle. My card base is Stampin' Up's Old Olive. I layered on a panel of Old Olive Designer Series Paper that's layered on a piece of Always Artichoke. The sentiment is from Stampin' Up's Blooming with Love set. I added some faux stitching in the corners and along the top and bottom of the Artichoke panel and a little bit of Star Dust Stickles to finish this one off.

Would you like to see some more creations with this sketch? Just click on the Blogger's Challenge logo in my right side bar. Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope that you enjoy the long weekend...Toodles! :D

I Love You the Most!

This week's Blogger's Challenge theme is LOVE! Yes, I know I'm a day late for Blogger's Challenge, but you see, I'm not lovin' all of the new gadgets that go with this new computer! I think that I figure out how to do something and then I try to do it again and I get nothin'! Then when what I want to happen actually does, and I have no idea how I did it...ugh! I'm still trying though, and I'm sure the more I tinker with it, the more I'll understand, but for now it is extremely frustrating!

Are you ready for all of the details about my card? Well, here goes! Kerry Donovan Casey sent me this adorable Magnolia stamp last week along with one of her GORGEOUS cards (I won a little drawing that she had on her blog). The image reminded me of when you hold out your arms and say, "I love you this much!" So, I thought that it would be perfect for the "Love Challenge". I have to say that I have never been so intimidated to color before...lol! Everytime I see one of these Magnolia images colored, they are so beautiful. My coloring just isn't there yet, but hopefully some day it will be. I used my Prismacolor Pencils for this one and I paired it up with a Stampin' Up sentiment (from the retired set, Love Matters) and some of my favorite Stampin' Up colors (Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink, and So Saffron). I also used my Stampin' Up punches and white grosgrain ribbon. The little pearls are from Martha Stewart, and the oval was cut with my Nesties and then embossed in my 'Bug. So, there you have it...my very first Magnolia creation. I hope I you like it Kerry! Be sure to check out what all of the other Ladies in the Blogger's Challenge group have come up with. (Just click on the logo in my right sidebar.) Thanks so much for taking a moment to visit today...Toodles! :D

I'm Still Here!!!

Happy Friday everyone! I've missed you all! We had to get a new computer and along with that, we had to buy a new photo editing program, and along with that I had to learn how to run the whole thing...ugh! So here I am...three weeks later! The good news is that with the new editing program, I am able to use my watermark...yippee! So now, I am up and running again! :D

This week's Blogger's Challenge is to use Designer Paper. I went with some retired favorites in So Saffron and Certainly Celery from Stampin' Up! I paired them up with one of my Tina Wenke images from Stampavie. Very simple design, but I love the way that it turned out. I'm off to check out all of the other creations from the ladies in the Blogger's Challenge group. If you'd like to join me, just click on the logo in my right sidebar. Thanks so much for hanging in there with me. I'm so glad that you stopped by tonight...Toodles! :D

"Labor Day!"

I couldn't seem to upload yesterday. Not quite sure what the problem was, but things are back to working today so here is my contribution to this week's Blogger's Challenge. The theme is baby and that's where the "Labor Day" title of this post came from (plus it's Labor Day weekend here in the States). It has been an incredibly busy week for me. I started a new full-time teaching job on Monday (Yippee!) It is in our district, so my little one can take the bus to and from my building to the other elementary school and that makes life oh, so much easier! However, the start of school has left me very little stamping time, so when you need to get a project done quickly, you look to the pros. In this case, Lauren Meader's fantastic Baby Onesie pattern. All of her details are here. I paired up this baby boyish, argyle, Bo Bunny paper with Stampin' Up's Certainly Celery. The sentiment is from Stampin' Up's Nursery Necessities, and those sweet, little buttons are from Making Memories. For more baby ideas, be sure to check out what the other Ladies in the Blogger's Challenge group came up with (link is in my right sidebar). Have a Happy Labor Day weekend, and thanks so much for stopping by...Toodles! :D

It's the Little Things...

Happy Friday! Here it is...this week's Blogger's Challenge...a wonderful sketch from our fabulous "Challenge Mom" Lisa! I wanted to showcase another one of my new Stampavie stamps from the Tina Wenke Collection. I have one more new one to share, but that will have to wait for another day.

I paired up my image with a sentiment from A Muse Artstamps and a piece of their stitched, grosgrain ribbon. All of the papers are from Stampin' Up, and I just had to add some Star Dust Stickles to finish the whole thing off. For more inspiration with this sketch, just click on the Blogger's Challenge logo in my right sidebar. Thanks so much for visiting today! I'm off to vacuum...what fun! Toodles! :D

Too Dark, Too Bright...ugh!

The card that I made yesterday was difficult to photograph. It looks great if you click on it for the enlarged version, but it looks too light to me in the regular blog post. This card has been giving me the same trouble. I have taken photographs of it inside in two different areas and outside in two different areas for a grand total of 43 different shots...ugh!! Unfortunately, this is the best one...lol! Maybe if you click and get the larger version, it will look even better. Okay, enough of my photography woes...onto the card.

I made this one for this week's Blogger's Challenge...use dies or punches. I went with both. My Stampin' Up sentiment is punched out with my small oval punch and then mounted with dimensionals to a larger oval of Pacific Point card stock. My little mouse from Stampavie is back and this time he's resting on a cupcake instead of a flower. Still cute as can be though! I used my rectangle dies from Nestabilities to cut him out along with the scalloped rectangle die for the Pacific Point layer. The buttons are from Making Memories and the fun papers are from Debbie Mums' Baby Boy pack. I used Anna Wight's sewing wheel trick around the edge of the card and then added Star Dust Stickles for some sparkle.

I'm sure the Ladies from the Blogger's Challenge group have some wonderful ideas with dies and punches. You can check out what they've all come up with right here. Have a fabulous Friday! Thanks so much for stopping by...Toodles! :D

I Stamped!!!

I haven't been able to find a lot of stamping time lately. It seems like this Summer has given me just enough time to complete my Blogger's Challenges and that's about all. I'm thrilled that I had the chance to stamp today just for fun!!! Do you like my sweet, new image from Stampavie? Is this little mouse a cutie-pa-tootie or what? I fell in love with him over at All That Scraps. I picked up a few of his friends for some future projects too! I chose to use him today because he fits so well with the Summer Fun Challenge over on the Stampavie blog.

My main image is colored with my Prima Colored Pencils and the designer papers are Nana's Nursery from DCWV. The card base is Stampin' Up's So Saffron with some Certainly Celery layers added in. I finished this one off with a large blue button, some green gingham ribbon, and a touch of Star Dust Stickles. I'll be back tomorrow with another card for this week's Blogger's Challenge. Thanks so much for visiting today...Toodles! :D

Happy Friday!!!

Friday means Blogger's Challenge and this week's challenge is Birthday creations. When I think about birthday celebrations, I think about all of the yummy treats, and then I immediately think about this Tiers of Treats stamp from Stampendous! I combined it with a sentiment from Stampin' Up's Short and Sweet set and some retired papers from Stampin' Up. These colors (Pacific Point, patterned So Saffron, and patterned Kiwi Kiss) remind me of summertime, and we'll be celebrating a few more birthdays around here before it comes to a close. The American Craft brads match Pacific Point perfectly, so I added them as well. A little bit of faux stitching in the corner completes my card.

For more birthday inspiration, be sure to stop by here to check out what the other Ladies from the group have created. Hope you have a Happy Friday! Thanks so much for visiting today...Toodles! :D

Blogger's Challenge Friday...I Made It!!!

Every time I have good intentions lately...they seem to fly right out the window! I have been trying to get my Blogger's Challenge creation posted all day and things have just not gone my way. I'm sure that many of you can relate. Blogger's Challenge is important to me and I'm glad that I'm getting it posted just under the wire! Lisa's challenge this week is a wonderful sketch that she came up with. I used my sweet little Belinda from High Hopes Rubber Stamps and a sentiment from A Muse for this one. The color combination is Stampin' Up's Pacific Point, Basic Black, and Whisper White. I also added my favorite Star Dust Stickles to qualify for Nikki's sparkle challenge over on the High Hopes Blog.

If you are looking for more fabulous creations with this sketch, just check out what the other Ladies have come up with here. Thanks so much for visiting...Toodles! :D

Combining Challenges!!!

Happy Friday! When Friday rolls around, so does the weekly Blogger's Challenge. This week's challenge is to add stitching to our projects. I also decided to throw in Sweet Miss Daisy's "Daisy" Challenge from the High Hopes Stamps Blog.

It has been quite a week! Between relatives and friends of the family, my family has had to attend four funerals this week. Instead of making anymore sympathy cards, I couldn't wait to make a fun and happy card, so that's how this one came about. The image is from High Hopes Stamps and the sentiment is from A Muse. I used my Prismas to color up this sweet, gardening bug and I added some Star Dust Stickles for the sparkly wings and antennae. The card base is Stampin' Up's So Saffron along with a layer of So Saffron Designer paper and a panel of Buckaroo Blue. A few buttons in the bottom corner from Making Memories finish off this one.

For more inspiration using stitching, just check out what the other Ladies have come up with here, and you can see some more "daisies" over on the High Hopes Blog here. Thank you so much for stopping by. Have a terrific weekend...Toodles! :D

Blogger's Challenge and Bella Blossoms!

Good day to you! This week's Blogger's Challenge (yes, I know I'm a day late...lol!) was to CASE (Copy and Share Everything) a fellow member of the Blogger's Challenge group. Well, let me tell you...this was not an easy task. The ladies in this group have so much talent and truly make beautiful cards. To make it a little easier on myself, I went to my saved pictures and found this card by Ida Krause. Just scroll down to the bottom of her post to see the card. I immediately loved her color combination and the layout of the card, so that's what I went with. Thank you for the inspiration Ida! :D

Here are the details on this one...I used Stampin' Up's Baja Breeze and Chocolate Chip card stock, and pieces of patterned Kraft paper and some retired Stampin' Up designer paper (with stripes). The blossom is stamped in Baja Breeze and Old Olive ink and then cut out. It's layered on a white, embossed piece, but I don't think you can see the embossing all too well in the photograph (just click on the picture if you'd like a better view). Like Ida, I used the Scallop Edge punch and some twine around my sentiment.

If you have some blog browsing time today, then click here and see what the other ladies from the group have come up with. For a change, we are having a nice weather day here in New England. Unfortunately, the weather has not been cooperating this summer at all. I hope that it's beautiful in your neck of the woods! Thanks so much for stopping by today...Toodles! :D

Three Cheers for the Red, White, and Blue!

Happy 4th of July weekend America! Our challenge for this week's Blogger's Challenge is called Wave the Flag...Red, White, and Blue! I went with my favorite little "Biker Bee" from Stampedous and I was able to combine that with the Mojo Monday Sketch for this week. I started off with a white card base and then a layer of Stampin' Up Real Red and a piece of retired, Stampin' Up designer paper in Bashful Blue. After the Star Dust Stickles on my main image dried, I used a sewing tool for some light piercing around my little bee. (A trick that I picked up from Sweet Miss Daisy's blog.) A piece of gingham ribbon, some Making Memories brads, a few scraps of Bashful Blue and Real Red, and a little scallop help from my Nesties complete this layer. Then I used my oval punches and a small sentiment from Hero Arts along with two American Crafts buttons to finish off my creation.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Enjoy the rest of your Friday...Toodles! :D

I'm Back!

I'm Back!!! I apologize for being "Missing In Action", but I do have a wonderful reason for it...We took our first family vacation to DISNEY WORLD!!! It truly was Magical and I enjoyed every minute of it! Then when I returned, I still had a week and a half of school left, so here we are...the last day of school and now I finally have time to create a card and actually post it over here on the blog!!! My card today is for this week's Blogger's Challenge...create a manly card. I've already posted my Father's Day cards, so I thought that this would be a good time to make a card for my uncle who has been sick in the hospital. Manly cards are not always easy for me, but I am happy with this one. I stayed with rich colors (Chocolate Chip and Old Olive) and an image (Thoughts and Prayers set) that I think works perfectly for a man or a woman. I added some Chocolate Grosgrain Ribbon and embossed my sentiment to finish the whole thing off. If you'd like some ideas for "manly cards", just click on the Blogger's Challenge logo in my right sidebar. You can see what the other Ladies in the Challenge Group came up with. Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope that there will be more stamping in my future this weekend...Toodles! :D

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday everyone! I guess that I'm sticking with the CAS (clean and simple) look for this week's Blogger's Challenge too...lol! Our challenge this week is a graduation card. The image and sentiment are from Stampin' Up as well as the Old Olive designer paper. In fact, the black grosgrain is also from Stampin' Up! As I said, I'm going with the clean and simple look, so that just about covers all of the details for this one. For more graduation inspiration, just click on the Blogger's Challenge logo in my right sidebar. I wish you all a glorious weekend! Thanks so much for stopping by...Toodles! :D

Blogger's Challenge #100!!!

Happy Friday! Yes...I'm on time this week for the Blogger's Challenge!!! I can't believe we are at number 100!!! This week's challenge is in honor of Memorial Day weekend here in the United States. We are to make a Patriotic creation. I don't have a lot of Patriotic stamps, but I came across my Vote For Me set from Storage Units, Ink and More so I was good to go!

The Second Graders at the school where I work lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance each morning over the intercom system. I have a little student who is always quite nervous to speak when it's her turn, so I thought that this card would be perfect for her to send her a little bit of encouragement.

You can see what the other Ladies in the Blogger's Challenge group came up with here. I hope that you all have a very safe and Happy Memorial Day weekend! (Hopefully the longer weekend will give me a chance to get some extra stamping time in!) Thanks for visiting today...Toodles! :D

Blogger's Challenge Saturday???

Everyday life seems to be getting in the way of my stamping fun lately...ugh! I apologize to all of my Blogger's Challenge friends for being a day late with this. Our challenge this week was to copy one of our own designs and change two things about it. It was so much fun looking at my older creations! I finally decided on this card to recreate and change up a bit. My husband's cousin is graduating from law school tomorrow, so this will be for her. I changed the colors (Stampin' Up's Sahara Sand and Basic Black) from my original card and I changed the angle of the main image. The designer paper is Stampin' Up's To The Nines pack. The main image is from an old, retired Stampin' Up set called Sweet & Simple Salutations and the sentiment is from the retired Warmest Regards set. I'm off to check out what the other Ladies in our group came up with. If you'd like to do the same, you can find their blogs here. Thanks so much for stopping by...Toodles! :D

Happy Friday!

This week's Blogger's Challenge is celebrating Mother's Day. I thought that I'd try my hand at one of those beautiful flower pot cards that have been popping up lately in the paper crafting world. I found the directions here through Splitcoaststampers (TLC215). They really are a lot of fun to make! I don't have any blossom punches or dies, so I used the flowers from the retired Stampin' Up set, You Make Me Happy. To give my project a little bit of dimension, I stamped the blossom twice in each colored ink (So Saffron, Lavender Lace, Cool Caribbean) and then cut them out and layered them onto each other. The little leaves and ribbon are Certainly Celery. Then I stamped the sentiment and attached it with a little piece of silver cording. I added some Star Dust Stickles for some sparkle. The whole thing came together quite quickly and easily.

I'm off to see what the other Ladies from the Blogger's Challenge group have come up with. You can find their blog links in my right side bar. Thanks so much for visiting today! Happy Mother's Day! :D

Blogger's Challenge Sketch

This week certainly flew by! Here it is...Friday again! Yippee! This week's Blogger's Challenge is a sketch challenge. This Stampendous image is the first thing that popped in my mind when I saw Lisa's sketch. I paired it up with a Papertrey Ink sentiment. I colored up these yummy sweets with Stampin' Up inks (Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, and So Saffron) and different Designer Papers. A couple of Making Memories brads and Star Dust Stickles complete my design.

For more inspiration with Lisa's fantastic sketch, just click here to see what the other Ladies in the Blogger's Challenge group came up with. Thanks so much for visiting today. Enjoy your day...Toodles! :D

Blogger's Challenge Sunday???

Happy Sunday! It's a beautiful day here in New England! In fact, one might go as far as to say that it's hot!!! Spring seems to escape us the last few years and we head right into Summer.

I have been having computer troubles...hence the reason for Blogger's Challenge Sunday instead of Blogger's Challenge Friday. This week's challenge was to alter something. This sweet square frame (Target find) actually hangs on a piece of ribbon, but I was having a dickens of a time photographing it that way, so I moved it to one of my plate stands in the Dining Room. (Still not the best picture, but I'm afraid that it will have to do.) The frame started off white with a black ribbon and the contrast was just too much for me, so I painted the frame and then went from there. The sentiment is from My Sentiments Exactly and the images are from Stampin' Up's In Full Bloom (retired). I accented the flower and the little bee with Star Dust Stickles, but you wouldn't know that from the photograph...lol. A nice little project for the two people who are always there for me and help my family out whenever I need them. I'm truly blessed!

You can see what the other Ladies altered by clicking here. Thanks so much for visiting. Have a beautiful day...Toodles! :D

High Hopes Challenge #27

Hello and Happy Tuesday! It's a gray and rainy day here in New England, but it's school vacation week, so I really don't mind...lol! Here is my card for this week's High Hopes Challenge. We are to distress our creations. I started off with my new tractor image from High Hopes. It's colored up with Prismacolor Pencils and OMS. After it was cut to size, I ran my distressing tool along the top and bottom. Then I added a thin strip of Bashful Blue and a torn piece of Real Red to the top and bottom of that. I glued those layers to my Bashful Blue card base. Even though it's a little early for Father's Day, I can keep this card in my stash and be ahead of the game for once in awhile. The sentiment is from Stampin' Up's retired When I Grow Up set. I finished it off with a polka dot button from Doodle Bug Designs and a little piece of red gingham. Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope that it's sunny and dry in your neck of the woods...Toodles! :D

Meet Miss Zoe!

I'd like to introduce you to Miss Zoe. She is the latest addition to my High Hopes stamp collection. I think that she's absolutely darling. My card today is for the High Hopes Challenge - Pierce It and for Kerry's Technique Challenge over at Three Clovers Designs. I've pierced around my image and on the Bashful Blue strip and to bring Miss Zoe to life, I colored her up with my Prismacolor Pencils and Odorless Mineral Spirits (also known as the Gamsol Magic technique). An embossed Real Red panel, a few buttons with some Bashful Blue strips for thread, and a little clip with a piece of ribbon complete this creation.

Thanks so much for visiting today! Enjoy the rest of your weekend...Toodles! :D

Blogger's Challenge!

It is finally Friday! I have a rather simple card to share today because my week has been anything but simple...lol! Lisa gave the Blogger's Challenge group a terrific color combination to work with this week (Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Sahara Sand, and Sage Shadow). These colors would be just perfect for a masculine card. I was hoping that my Stampin' Up order with the To The Nines Designer Paper would have been in for this challenge because it would have made things a little easier, but no such luck. I do have my new Thoughts and Prayers set though. I stamped the leaves and the sentiment with Always Artichoke. Then I used Chocolate Chip marker on the trunk and branches. The card base is also Chocolate Chip with a few pearl accents in each corner. My quilted panel is made from Sahara Sand with a little help from my Scor-Pal. I added a band of Sage Shadow and did a little bit of faux sewing on the top and bottom of the panel. The main image is stamped on a panel cut from the Top Note Die with a chocolate button and some ribbon to balance everything out.

For more inspiration with this wonderful color combination, please see what the other Ladies in our group have come up with here. Thanks so much for visiting today...Toodles! :D

You're Invited!

This week's Blogger's Challenge is to use a favorite technique. I must admit...I don't use a lot of different techniques when I stamp, but one that I've always loved is the Dazzling Diamond Dust technique. It's an easy way to add a lot of sparkle to a project.

My wonderful friend asked if I could make the invitations for her daughter's First Communion celebration. Of course I said, "Yes!" The biggest requirement was that the invitations had to be purple. I started off by being inspired by Julee's Mojo Monday sketch. I say inspired because I just couldn't make my pieces work in the same placement as the sketch, but a lot of the other elements are the same. I decided to go with Almost Amethyst, and then I used my Textile Embossing Folder in my 'Bug and I added some sheer ribbon from Michaels with a few American Crafts brads. To make the brads sparkle, I added a little bit of Star Dust Stickles. The main image is one that I've had for a few years. I was fortunate enough to pick it up at the local Dollar Store! I used the Dazzling Diamond Dust technique on the main image. I love the sparkle and then there is just enough sparkle from the ribbon and brads to balance everything off.

I'm anxious to see what techniques the Ladies from the Blogger's Challenge group have used. You can see their creations here. Hope you and your have a beautiful weekend! Happy Easter! Happy Passover! Thank you so much for stopping by here today...Toodles! :D

Hogs and Kisses!

Happy Sunday! I told you that I'd be back today! Here is my creation for the sketch challenge over on the High Hopes Blog. This is another one of my new High Hopes images. It's called Petunia and Audrey. Aren't they just sweet together?!?! They are colored up with Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils and then I used my Nesties to make the circles. I made the sentiment on the computer and then used various Stampin' Up punches. All of the papers are from Stampin' Up as well (Pink Pirouette and Old Olive). A ribbon knot of Old Olive Grosgrain, a few Making Memories brads, and some faux stitching complete my card. Enjoy the rest of your day and thanks so much for stopping by today...Toodles! :D

The Birthday Buzzard!

Yesterday, I was apologizing because I hadn't posted in two weeks and now here's my second post in two days...lol! I just couldn't wait to play today...my new stamps arrived from High Hopes! I quickly got the weekly housework done and then began inking! I love this Birthday Buzzard! Don't ask me how a buzzard can be so cute, but this one certainly is! I was hoping that he'd fit in the circle from the sketch that Taylor had over on her blog, and he almost did! I just had to cut around the balloons like Michelle from the High Hopes Design Team did with one of her creations. (Thanks for idea Michelle!) I thought this image would work well with this week's Color Inspiration from Kristina Werner (Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, and Whisper White). All of the papers are from Stampin' Up and these Making Memories brads matched perfectly so I just had to add those. Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Who knows...maybe I'll stamp some more and post tomorrow too! {wink} Thanks so much for visiting today...Toodles! :D

Happy Hellos!

First off, I apologize for the lack of posts lately. Between birthday celebrations, school, migraine headaches, and the stomach flu visiting our house, I've been left with little stamping time. This week's Blogger's Challenge is this wonderful sketch from Lisa. When I saw this the circle, I thought that my little upside down duck from High Hopes would fit perfectly. I was thrilled to have the chance to use him. Once I had the little guy colored, I pulled my papers (an embossed card stock which is very close to Yo-Yo Yellow and Pumpkin Pie). As you can see, I've missed seeing the sun around here, so I've made a card that is certainly bright enough to take it's place...LOL! This card is also for the Border Challenge over on the High Hopes blog. With everything going on here lately, I've missed the last few High Hopes challenges, (using buttons, no patterned paper) so I added them in as well. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else from the Blogger's Challenge group has come up with for the sketch. You can check out their creations here. Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit. Have a wonderful weekend...Toodles! :D

Think Spring!

We are patiently awaiting for Spring to arrive here in New England! Temperatures are slowly heading in the right direction and we've had a bit of rain instead of snow over the last couple of days, so we're off to a good start!

This week's Blogger's Challenge is called, "Think Spring". The perfect opportunity to try out my new Cheep Talk set from Stampin' Up. The branch is colored with Certainly Celery and Chocolate Chip markers, and the sweet, chubby bird is stamped in Pacific Point ink. I then cut the branch and birdie out and used Dimensionals to adhere it to a circular piece of paper from the Delicate Dots pack. The celery layer of patterned paper is from Imaginisce and the two rectangles of Pacific Point are from the Patterns Designer Series Pack. I added some paper piercing, but the card still needed something more, so I added a white Hero Arts button. That wasn't quite enough, so to balance out all of the color, I knotted a piece of Pacific Point ribbon and glued it to the button. I'm happy with the way it finishes off the card. The design is a variation of one of the sketches from Paper Crafts magazine. I turned the sketch on it's side and changed the placement of the sentiment and the accents.

Are you in the mood for some more Spring creations? I kind of thought that you would be...lol! Just click here to see what the other ladies from the Blogger's Challenge group came up with. I do hope that Spring is in the air in your neck of the woods. Thanks so much for stopping by...Toodles! :D

It's All About Texture!

This week's Challenge from the Blogger's Challenge group is all about the the texture we can add to our creations. Whether it be Stampin' Up Texture Plates or Cuttlebug Embossing Folders or anything else that you may have to achieve this look. I used my Textile Embossing Folder with a piece of Brushed Silver in my 'Bug. I also tried to get a little bit more of a textured look by stamping my hearts (Stampin' Up Gentler Times set) with Craft Ink and then embossing them. I then cut them out and added them to the Elegant Eggplant layer. The little tag sentiment is from Stampin' Up's Cute Converse set. It was stamped in Elegant Eggplant onto the silver and then I tied it to the silver and lilac organdy with a piece of silver cording. One engagement card complete! To check out what the other Ladies in the group have come up with, just click here. I hope that you have a Happy Friday! Thanks so much for visiting with me today...Toodles! :D

Simply Said

Happy Friday! For this week's Blogger's Challenge, Lisa asked us to use Sage Shadow, Brown, and a neutral. I pulled out an oldie, but goodie set from Stampin' Up called Simply Said. It's still in the current catty, but it has been around for awhile. It's one of my favorites! My flower image is stamped with Chocolate Chip ink onto Whisper White. I stamped the Linen background onto the Sage Shadow panel and then the sentiment in Chocolate Chip. Then I added a little bit of faux stitching in each corner. The strip of Chocolate Chip has a row of faux stitching on the top and bottom and a piece of May Arts Polka Dot ribbon tied to it. I finished the card off with a little bit of sponging and a tiny bit of Star Dust Stickles.

For more inspiration with this beautiful color combination, just click here. I'm sure you'll like what the other ladies have come up with! Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit...Toodles! :D

That Fuzzy Feeling!

The challenge over on the High Hopes blog this past Sunday was "That Fuzzy Feeling". Basically, use something fuzzy on your creation. That was a bit of a challenge for me! I don't have any velvet, fibers, flock or any other fuzzy do-dads! So...I improvised. I searched the house and found some white felt. Then I went through my Cuttlebug dies and found this little flower type design, ran the two through my 'Bug and then BINGO...I've got "That Fuzzy Feeling"!

My sweet, forgetful elephant is from High Hopes Rubber Stamps and she's colored up with my Prismas and then cut out with my Nesties. I paired her up with some retired designer paper from Stampin' Up and some Pixie Pink card stock. A few brads and some faux stitching finish up my creation.

Enjoy the rest of your evening and thank you for stopping by for a visit...Toodles! :D

Three Clovers Challenge!!

Wow! Two posts in one day!! That has never happened around here before...lol! I took advantage of my snow day and made a card for another challenge that I wanted to participate in. My friend Kerry over at Three Clovers Designs started doing a Thursday challenge on her blog. I know, I know...today is Monday, but I still wanted to play along...lol! Her challenge on this past Thursday was to use Brown, Blue, and Buttons, so here's my creation. Except for the button (American Crafts) and the ribbons (May Arts), all of the materials are from Stampin' Up. I chose the Blooming With Love set and I paired that up with Chocolate Chip card stock and some retired Petal Patch papers. My image is colored with Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils (Light Cerulean Blue, Sienna Brown, and just a touch of Olive Green) and blended with Low Odor Mineral Spirits. I'm so happy with how this all came together, and now I have a Mother's Day card for my stash! Thanks for a terrific challenge Kerry and thanks so much for stopping by again...Toodles! :D

Another Snow Day!

We ended up getting close to the foot of snow that they predicted, so we didn't have school today! No school means a little extra stamping time! I made this card for Julee's Mojo Monday Sketch. She has such wonderful sketches. I just discovered these a few weeks ago and I think I'm going to have to go back and check out all of the others. All of my materials are from Stampin' Up. Ellie is from the Happy Heart Day set and the sentiment is from the Trendy Trees set with some piercing on either side. I used Pretty in Pink for the card base and the pink patterned paper is from the retired pack, Petals and Paisley. Pacific Point ribbon is tied around this layer and makes the bow at the top. I used my Nesties with a little bit of piercing for the scalloped square of Pacific Point. The other designer paper piece is from the Pacific Point Patterns DSP. A little bit of Star Dust Stickles on the hearts completes my card. Thanks so much for stopping by today. Enjoy your Monday...Toodles! :D

Thanks to Trendy Trees!

Happy Sunday evening to you! I have a fallish looking card to share on a snowy night...lol! Between this eveing and tomorrow, my area should receive a foot or more of the fluffy stuff...YES!! I think that it's so pretty and it will be fun to get another snowman made this season.

I made this card for Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration (Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Ruby Red, Old Olive, and Brocade Blue) and for this past Monday's Mojo Sketch #75. I love these colors and this is such a fun layout, I couldn't resist giving them both a try! I went with Stampin' Up's new Trendy Trees set (I can't seem to use this set without making rolling hills for the sweet little trees...lol) and their retired set, Circle of Friendship. The Chocolate Chip patterned paper is from the Bella Rose DSP pack and the Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie patterned papers are from retired packs that I have. The sketch called for a row of circles (Making Memories brads) and then I added a tiny bit of faux stitching and paper piercing.

Thanks so much for stopping by. If it is wintery in your neck of the woods, I hope that you are warm and cozy...Toodles! :D

A Couple of Challenges!

I planned to post this yesterday, but alas, things don't always go as planned. Instead, we went ice skating and shopping for a few more Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils for Mommy...lol! It's back to school for us here tomorrow, and I wanted to be sure to squeeze in one last post before I head back to work. Here is my version of Kerry's first sketch challenge over at Three Clovers Designs. I basically took the sketch that she gave us and turned it on it's side. There is a method to my madness...lol! I wanted to use my sweet little lamb from High Hopes Rubber Stamps, and he just didn't fit right with the sketch the other way. By waiting an extra day, my card was able to work for the challenge over on the High Hopes Blog too. This week, we were asked to do some kind of sponging on our creation. I very lightly (and I stress the word lightly...lol) sponged Bashful Blue all around this sweet little guy for the sky. For a closer look, just click on the photograph and it should enlarge for you. In the past, I've ended up sponging way too much ink on a few of my creations, and really ended up ruining them. Now, I go with the less is more approach, and it seems to work out much better for me. I paired this image up with some spring-like papers (Nana's Nursery) from DCWV, a little bit of Regal Rose card stock, an American Crafts button, and a smidgen of May Arts gingham ribbon. Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope that you had a great weekend, and I hope that you have an even better Monday...Toodles! :D

Blogger's Inspiration Challenge

This week's Blogger's Challenge is an Inspiration Challenge. Lisa, our Challenge Mom, gave us this bedding photograph to inspire us to make a creation. Now that I have this picture very close to my actual creation, I can see that I'm off a bit with the colors...lol! I went with Stampin' Up's Riding Hood Red, and now I'm thinking that Really Rust might have been a better choice, but that is alright. The reason that I decided to go with the red color was because this sheet of Bella Rose Designer Paper has a similar print to the one in the inspiration piece. I distressed the edges a little and then ran gold ink over them. The little medallion image is from the retired Stampin' Up set called Gentler Times. I added a golden Making Memories brad to the center and I also added a little bit of golden embroidery thread to the strip of May Arts ribbon to tie everything together. A very simple and hopefully, elegant looking note card. Please click on the Blogger's Challenge logo to see what the other ladies in the group have come up with. Thanks so much for stopping by today. I'll be back tomorrow to share my creation for Kerry's new sketch challenge. Enjoy your evening...Toodles! :D