Happy New Year!!!

 

Happy New Year, Friends!  We are bundled up in our pajamas in the living room, watching Despicable Me, eating popcorn, and drinking Shirley Temples!  The Gajewski Family really knows how to ring in the New Year...lol!  We are actually having a fun evening and I hope that you are having a fun New Year's Eve too!

 

Here is my card for the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club sketch.  You can find the original sketch here.  I turned the sketch to better fit my image.  As I said in my last post, I colored up a few of these sweet a' la modes girls from the My Favorite Things You Sparkle set, so here is another one for you.  She is colored up with Copic Markers (BG01, BG05,E000, E35, E37, E40, E41, E42, E50, E53, R46, R59, YG03, YG17, YR20, YR21,  and the Colorless Blender) and then I pierced around the main panel.   I also added Star Dust Stickles to the Christmas lights for some sparkle.  All of the papers are from My Mind's Eye.  I added a Papertrey Ink button and some of their Saddle Stitch ribbon.  The button is tied off with some Baker's Twine finish up this creation.

 

Thanks so much for visiting with me tonight.  May you all have many blessings in the New Year ahead.  Until next time...Toodles!  :D

You Sparkle!

 

Hello Friends and Happy snowy Saturday night!  We came home from late afternoon services at our church, had dinner together, and now it is jammie time watching the snow fall.  I just L*O*V*E winter in New England!  Our area is expecting about six inches.  Tomorrow we can go sledding and build a snowman in the front yard...I can't wait!  I'll be thrilled when the ice is ready for skating.

 

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas.  Our home was filled with family on Christmas Eve and then again on Christmas Day.  Everything went beautifully and it even snowed on Christmas morning for a White Christmas!  After everything was cleaned up, I took a moment to stamp four of these sweet images from the a' la modes collection from My Favorite Things.  I have spent my evenings since Christmas night just coloring and relaxing.  It felt soooo good to just sit and color!  My New Year's resolution is to start making more time for coloring again.  I have missed it so!  Even if I don't get the chance to create a card, I can at least color up some of my beautiful images from my stamp collection. 

 

I used the image and sentiment from the MFT You Sparkle set.  I looked at some of the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club sketches that I have missed and decided that this image would work well with MFTWSC100.  My image is colored up with Copic Markers (B91, B95, C3, C5, E000, E41, E35, E37, E50, E53, R46, R59, YR20, and the Colorless Blender.)  All of the patterned papers are from Echo Park.  The snowflake was made with My Favorite Things Die-namics and I accented it with a Papertrey Ink button and some twine from the Paper Source.  The string of lights has a coat of Star Dust Stickles on the top which takes care of Lisa Somerville's Blogger's Challenge this week (Sparkle and Shine) too.  It has been forever and a day since I have had the chance to play along in that challenge!!  You can find Lisa's challenge right here. 

 

I have three more images already colored up and I just need to pick out a few more sketches to make some more cards.  Hopefully, I'll be able to post again before I head back to school.  Have a wonderful evening and if it is snowing in your neck of the woods, stay safe and Enjoy!!  Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit.  Until next time...Toodles!  :D 

Best Wishes

Hello Friends!  It has been almost a month since my last post...ugh!  I truly miss sharing my creations and visiting your blogs to see what you have created.  I am hoping for life to slow down a bit in the new year that is ahead.  I have made time to craft (it truly relaxes me), but I have not had as much computer time as I would like.  Please bear with me.

 

My card for today is for Jen Del Muro's last Sketch For You To Try.  I will miss Jen's sketches.  She is SO talented and always inspires me.  I have loved using her sketches.  In fact, I have played along each month for the last two years!  In order to be eligible for her grand prize, I need to provide the links to all of this past year's cards.  Here are all of the cards for this past year that I have created with Jen's fantastic sketches.  (Just click on the month to see them.)  My January card, February card, my March card, my April card, my May card, my June card, my July card, my August card, my September card, my October card, my November card, and my card today is for her December sketch (which you can find HERE.)  THANK YOU, JEN!!! 

Today's card uses a sentiment from a Taylored Expressions set and the main image is from Karen Lockhart.  The papers are from My Mind's Eye and Crate Papers.  I also used the Seeing Spots embossing folder, the Fishtail Flag Die-namics from My Favorite Things, and the small scalloped oval is made with a Punch Bunch punch that I just had to have because Jen used this same punch many moons ago on her "Genie Bags" on Splitcoast Stampers...lol!  I also added a button and some brads to finish this creation off.

Thank you so very much for stopping by today!  I truly hope to post again before the New Year.  I wish you all of the joys and blessings that Christmas brings.  Merry Christmas, Friends.  Until next time...Toodles!  :D

 

A Few Cards to Share

Hello Friends!  Happy Sunday Evening!  Did you have a Happy Thanksgiving?  Mine was spent with my wonderful family, and I am quite thankful for that.  Last Sunday, I escaped to my Stamping Room, put on my favorite radio show (Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molasky), and stamped away.  I haven't really had too much time in between though to post my creations.  So here it is, Sunday evening again, I'm listening to Radio Deluxe again, but instead of stamping...I'm finally blogging.  Here are my creations.  First up is a card that was completely inspired by my sweet blogging friend, Wanda Guess.  Here is the link to her creation.

 

I picked up this set of stamps at Michaels and the sentiment is one that I've had on hand for quite some time.  Wanda's cards using similar stamps are so beautiful.  This is a technique that I'll have to try again. 

My next card was inspired by a layout that I saw in the Taylored Expressions newsletter.  I believe that the card was designed by Tracy Clemente.  The flowers and sentiment are from the Daisy Bouquet set from TE.  I used the Fishtail Die-namics from My Favorite Things, some My Mind's Eye papers, a Papertrey Ink button, and some machine stitching to finish this one up.  I also used Copic Markers to color up the flowers, but I can't seem to put my finger on the list at the moment.  I'll be sure to update later once I find it.  

 

My last card for tonight is for Jen Del Muro's November Sketch For You To Try.  Please click here for the link to play along.  There are a few days left in the month.   I started with these pretty blue and yellow papers from My Mind's Eye, and then I created this sentiment on the computer with a couple of different fonts.  The circle scallops and the border scallops were made with Die-namics from My Favorite Things.  I tied the card layers together with some navy organdy ribbon and a button from my stash.

 

 

There you have it.  I actually stamped and now I have actually blogged...lol!  Have a wonderful week!  I hope to be back soon.  Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit!  Until next time...Toodles!  :D

Hurricane Sandy

Happy Monday, Friends!  Hurricane Sandy has arrived in New England.  Thankfully, we still have electricity.  Schools are closed and the wind in really picking up right now.  We were supposed to have Pumpkin Math at school today, but that will have to wait for another day.  I hope that you and yours are all safe and sound.  I took advantage of my day off and made a card for my big brother's birthday.  He loves boats and the sea, so I knew that this set would be perfect for him.  The main image is from the My Favorite Things Inspired By-Sea set.  I inked it up in navy ink and used Nestabilities to cut it out.  I also used the My Favorite Things Die-namics Sea Charms.  The kraft buttons are from My Favorite Things too.  All of the papers are from My Mind's Eye.  I used the last sketch from the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club for the layout.  Part of the tree in the front yard just broke off, so I am going to go now.  Thanks for stopping by for a visit.  Stay safe. Until next time...Toodles!  :D 

 

I Stamped!!!

Hello Friends!  I hope that you are well.  I managed to squeeze in a little bit of stamping time this afternoon.  A friend of mine needed some thank you cards, so this is one of the designs that I came up with.  I used Jen Del Muro's October Sketch For You To Try for the layout.  As much as I tried to stick to the sketch, I ended up replacing the two tilted panels with two Kraft colored buttons from My Favorite Things.  This sweet little mouse is from Stampavie.  I colored him up with Copic Markers (B00, B12, B95, B97, B99, E25, E29, E30, E31, E33, E35, R20, YG63, YG67, YR00, YR15, YR18, and the Colorless Blender) and I then I fussy cut him out.  The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink and all of the papers are from My Mind's Eye.  The orange pieces were made with the Fishtail Flag STAX Die-namics from My Favorite Things.

 

Things continue to be very busy for us, but they are all good.  I have been planning a Pumpkin Math event for all of the first graders at school.  It will be this Monday afternoon and I am hoping that everything goes according to plan.  I have always been a "Nervous Nellie" and seeing that I'm new to the building, I'm praying that it all goes well.  Either way, the children will have a ball with all of the pumpkin activities, and at the end of the day, that is really all that matters to me!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit.  Until next time...Toodles!  :D

Remember Me!

Hello Friends!  Hope that you are happy and well.  Here it is...the end of September, and this is only my second post for the month!!  Egads!  I haven't had the time to check in with a lot of my blogging friends either.  Hopefully things will be better in October!  I've missed you all!  I know that I told you about my new job (which is simply wonderful, by the way), but we have something else pretty special going on in our house now too.  It is taking up quite a bit of our time, but we love him just the same!  Meet our sweet, new family pet!  He is a Holland Lop rabbit and the first pet with fur for the Gajewski family...lol!  We just love him to pieces!

This sweet little guy inspired my card for Jen del Muro's September Sketch For You To Try.  You can find the details to play along on Jen's Blog (click here for the link).  I turned the sketch to better fit my floppy eared friend.  The image and sentiment are from The Cat's Pajamas.  I used Copic Markers to color him up (B95, B97, BG000, E000, E11, E13, R20, R22, YG93, YR20, and YR21) and all of the papers are from My Mind's Eye.  The colors are from last week's TCP Tuesday Challenge.  I added a button from my stash with a bit of twine and some wide grosgrain ribbon to finish this simple card up.

 

Thanks for stopping by and visiting with me.  Until next time...Toodles!  :D

Two Sketches to Share!

Happy Monday Friends!  Hope that you are all well.  I know that it has been a long time, no see.  School has started here and things are quite busy for all of us!  Things are a bit more crazy than usual because I started a brand new job!  Instead of staying in my district and being an assistant teacher, I headed to a brand new school district and took the position of a K-2 Math Specialist!  It is not my own classroom, but it is a step in the right direction and I am just as happy as can be!  Stamping will be on and off for awhile because of my new position, but I’ll be sure to make as much time as I can for it.

I was able to make two cards last night.  I’m thrilled with both of them (that doesn’t happen too often…lol!)  My first card is for the sketch from the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club.  (Click here for the link to play along.)  I used one of the new a la modes from My Favorite Things.  The girl and sentiment are from the Polished to Perfection set.  I used my Copic Markers (BG000, BG11, BG13, BG15, C0, C1, C3, E000, E00, E01, E11, E13, E15, E17, E23, E25, E40, E41, R00, R20, R32, YR00, YR12, YR14, YR18, and the Colorless Blender) to color her up and then I layered this panel onto a piece of black.  My other accents include the My Favorite Things Fishtail Flag Die-namics, the File Tab Die-namics, the Little Open Scallop Strip Die-namics, and the Botanical Beauty Die-namics.  All of the patterned papers are from My Mind’s Eye and I finished it off with a button from my stash and a little Baker’s Twine bow.

We attended the Woodstock Fair in Woodstock, Connecticut over the weekend.  It is a wonderful agricultural fair with animals, vegetables, arts and crafts, fantastic foods, and many other fun activities.  We simply fell in love with all of the different rabbits that were at the fair.  That was all the inspiration that I needed for this next card!  This sweet little guy is from the Wish set from The Cat’s Pajamas.  He is colored up with Copic Markers (E01, E11, E13, E15, R20, R22, YR20, YR21, and YR24) and then I fussy cut him out.  I used the sketch from this week’s TCP Tuesday Challenge.  (Click here for the link to play along.)  All of the papers are from October Afternoon.  I added some grosgrain ribbon, a couple of buttons from Papertrey Ink, and a scalloped edge with some red rhinestones to finish off this one.

Thanks so much for visiting with me.  Until next time…Toodles!  :D

Silly & Giggly Moments

Hello Friends!  I was hoping to post something crafty this weekend, but here I am on Monday evening instead.  My card is for the color challenge from the TCP Tuesday Challenge and the sketch is the August Sketch For You to Try from Jen Del Muro.  (Just click on the highlighted words to play along too.) 

I started off with this delightful new image from The Cat’s Pajamas.  It is from the Quality Time set.  I used my Copic Markers (BG000, BG01, BG53, E11, E13, E15, R83, YR20 YR21, and the Colorless Blender) to color up my image and then I fussy it out.  It is layered on top of a Kraft circle that I embossed with the Seeing Spots embossing folder.  All of the papers are from My Mind’s Eye.  I added a heart from the TCP Heart Trio CutUps and a Kraft button from My Favorite Things.  The Natural Twine is from Taylored Expressions.  A little distressing and some machine stitching finish off this card. 

Thank you for visiting with me tonight.  Have a wonderful Tuesday!  Until next time…Toodles!  :D   

You're a Class Act!

Happy Friday Friends!  I’ve missed some of my favorite challenges lately.  Things have been SO busy around here.  Actually, I’ve made cards for some of them, but I just haven’t had the time to post anything or comment on some of my favorite blogs.

  Today’s Blogger’s Challenge theme is Back to School.  Click here to head over to Lisa Somerville’s blog to play along.  Having many teacher friends, I wanted to be sure to participate in this challenge.  So, I combined the Back to School theme with the sketch from the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club.  (Click here to see the sketch.)  I started off with this adorable teacher and sentiment from the My Favorite Things a’ la modes collection called You Rule.  She is colored up with Copic Markers (BG000, BG11, BG13, E000, E00, E01, E23, E27, R00, R29, and R39) and then I fussy cut her out.  The notebook print is from My Mind’s Eye and the other papers are from October Afternoon.  I used the My Favorite Things Layered Rose Die-namics, the Double Scallop Border Die-namics, and the File Tab Die-namics.  My other accents include a Papertrey Ink button, some linen thread, and an older Cuttlebug embossing strip. 

Thanks so much for visiting with me today.  I hope to be back a little later on this weekend to share a few more cards with you.  Until then…Toodles!  :D

Happy Day!

Good Morning Friends!  Hope that you are doing fine and dandy!  Today is the deadline to submit a card for the sketch challenge from the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club.   I am cutting things very close, but after the days that I've been having, I am just happy to be able to participate.   If you'd like to play along and squeeze a card in, the link is here.

I started off with this sweet a' la modes girl from My Favorite Things.  She and this particular sentiment are from the Time to Celebrate set.  I colored her up with Copic Markers (BG01, BG15, BG32, BG53, C3, E000, E00, E01, E23, E40, R00, R11, R22, R24, and YR12) and layered this piece onto a Papertrey Ink Kraft layer.  All of the patterened papers are from the So Happy Together collection from Echo Park Papers.  My other accents include the MFT File Tab Die-namics, the MFT Botanical Beauty Die-namics, a wooden button that I colored with my Light Prawn Copic Marker to match my papers, and a bit of Baker's Twine.

I'll be back soon with another card to share.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  Until next time...Toodles!  :D

Christmas in July!

Happy Friday Friends!  Here we are...just a few days left in July and then things really start to get busy in August with preparation for Back to School!  I love Autumn so I'm always ready for Back to School time.  I have a quick post to share with you.  I say quick because this Cinderella must finish cleaning the castle...lol!  I would LOVE someone to iron the clothes...Scratch that, I'd pay someone to iron all of the clothes!  If I am caught up on the laundry and ironing, then I'm behind on all of the dusting, vacuuming, floor washing, bathroom cleaning, etc. Ugh...It's a vicious cycle!! 

Anyway, I ended up combining this week's Blogger's Challenge (Christmas in July) with the sketch from the TCP Tuesday Challenge.  (Just click on the bold words for the links to play along.)  My sentiment and image are from the Your Gift set from The Cat's Pajamas.  The image is colored with Copic Markers (E11, E13, E15, G40, G82, G94, G99, and Y35) and then fussy cut out.  I love the sweet little pom-pom for his tail.  All of the papers are from the Season's Greetings collection from Echo Park.  The Pure Poppy buttons are from Papertrey Ink.  I added some twine from the Paper Source, a strip of machine stitching, and I used the TCP Icing CutUps for the scallops on the side. 

Thanks so much for taking a moment to visit with me.  Have a terrific start to the weekend!  Until next time...Toodles!  :D

Playing Catch Up!

Happy Monday Friends!  Did y'all have a wonderful weekend?  I was able to spend some time with my family and a few friends.  Nothing beats that!  I was also able to sneak in some much needed stamping time...Yippee!

My first card is for this past week's Tuesday Challenge from The Cat's Pajama's.  The challenge is to use one of the many bear stamp from TCP and either their Apron Border CutUps die or the Queen of Hearts CutUps die.  You can find all of the details to play along on Alma's Blog.  I didn't have either die, so I improvised and made my Icing CutUps die look similar to the Apron Border (hope that counts!!!)  My sweet bear and sentiment are from the TCP What a Blast set.  The bear is colored with Copic Markers (E11, E13, E15, YG13, YG25, YR30, and YR31) and the fussy cut out.  I used Jen Del Muro's July Sketch For You To Try for my layout.  (You can find all of the details about the sketch on her blog here.)  All of the patterned papers are from Echo Park.  My other details include a silver brad, the Seeing Spots embossing folder, and a little bit of paper piercing in two of the corners.

 

My other card for today is from a past sketch from the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club.  This was sketch MFTWSC65.  I am hoping to catch up on some of the sketches that I've missed while I'm home for the summer.  All of the papers for this one are from My Mind's Eye.  I used the MFT Die-namics Monarch Border and the small die from the Die-namics Open Scallop Doily Duo.  This sweet Pure Innocence girl is from the Jump for Joy set.  She is colored up with Copic Markers (BG000, E000, E00, E01, E23, E25, E31, G20, G21, R00, R29, R39, and YG67) and I paper pieced her dress.  I used some Baker's Twine for her jump rope and finished this one off with some machine stitching.

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit.  Until next time...Toodles!  :D

Blogger's Challenge and a Sketch

Happy Friday Friends!  I have two cards to share with you today.  One from myself and one from my niece.  My card is for this week's Blogger's Challenge (use die cuts) and I followed the sketch from the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club.  (Just click on the bold words for the link to play along.)

My image and sentiment are from the MFT You Anchor Me set.  I colored her up with Copic Markers (C1, C3, E000, E00, E01, E23, E25, E27, E33, E37, G07, G12, R00, R11) and then I fussy cut her out and used some foam squares to give her some added dimension.  All of the patterned papers are from Crate Paper.  I used the MFT Small Open Scallop Die-namics, the flag from the MFT Die-namics Sentiment Strips, and the anchor from the MFT Die-namics Sea Charms.  My other accents include a button from my stash with some Baker's Twine, some pearls, and some machine stitching (please excuse the wonky stitching on the bottom left...I thought that my sewing machine was fixed...ugh!!!) 

Now onto my niece's card.  She also used the sketch from the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club (she is hoping to win their weekly challenge.)  She used the MFT Pure Innocence Blowing Bubbles set for her image and the sentiments.  All of the papers are from My Mind's Eye (she has great taste!) and she used watercolor pencils to color up this cutie.  I think that she did a great job for her first try on her own.  She even did the chocolate brown fussy cutting!  Now I really know what to get her for her birthday next month!

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit.  Have a beautiful weekend!  Until next time...Toodles!  :D



My Favorite Things Sketches

Hello Friends!  As I said in my last post, things have been quite busy here this week.  In fact, things have been so busy that I had my card finished for last week’s sketch from the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club, and I didn’t have a chance to post it…ugh!  I had a little time today to work on this week’s sketch, so I thought that I’d post both cards together.  Here is the card for last week’s sketch.

I used the My Favorite Things Pure Innocence Freckles set.  She is colored up with Copic Markers (B0000, B21, B34, E000, E00, E01, E23, E25, E40, R11, R29, and R39) and paper pieced with some prints from the Summer Fresh collection from Simple Stories.  In fact, all of the patterned papers are from that collection.  The blossom was made with the MFT Botanical Beauty Die-namics and for the leaves, I used the MFT Vintage Flourish Die-namics.  I dressed up the center of the flower and the sentiment flag with some Papertrey Ink Buttons and Baker’s Twine.  A little bit of sewing finishes off the main panel.  Now for this week’s sketch. 

This card is for my dear husband.  I used my friend, Fred Bear on this one.  He is colored up with Copic Markers (E31, E33, E35, G07, R11, and Y21) and fussy cut out.  The sentiment and this Fred image are from the Fred Bear and the Pinwheel set from My Favorite Things.  I made the pinwheel with the Pinwheels CutUps from The Cat’s Pajamas.  All of the patterned papers are from My Little Shoebox.  My accents include Papertrey Ink Buttons and Baker's Twine, May Arts Polka Dotted Ribbon, and the Little Open Scallop Strip Die-namics from My Favorite Things.  If you would like to play along with this sketch, you can find all of the details to do so on the My Favorite Things blog.  Here is the link. 

Thanks so much for visiting with me this evening!  I hope that you had a terrific weekend.  I'll be back soon.  Until next time...Toodles!  :D

Blogger's Challenge Colors

Hello Friends and Happy Friday!  Things have been crazy, crazy, crazy here so I am going to make today's post short and sweet!!!  This week's Blogger's Challenge (click here to head over to Lisa's Blog to play along) is to use black, white, and a splash of another color.  I needed another birthday card and this is what I came up with.  The flowers are from the Elements of Style set from Stampin' Up and the sentiment is from the Vintage Cameo Frame set from My Favorite Things.  I heat embossed them with white embossing powder.  My splash of color is from this lovely, celery, gingham ribbon from May Arts.  I also added a celery button from Stampin' Up to finish is off.  Like I said, short and sweet!  Thanks so much for stopping by.  I'll be back tomorrow with some more cards to share.  Until then...Toodles!  :D

Say It With Words

Happy Friday Friends!  How are you?  Summer is moving right along here.  The weather has been beautiful!  We are getting lots of things done around the house and just enjoying every moment that we can.

My card is for today's Blogger's Challenge (create a card with words as the focal point).  You can play along by heading over to Lisa's Blog.  I made this one for one of the teachers at school to go along with her end of the year gift and I've been waiting until now to share it.  The sentiment and die cut are from the My Favorite Things Vertical Greetings Die and Stamp set.  I also used the MFT Circle STAX Die-namics and the Die-namics Monarch Border.  All of the patterned papers are from My Mind's Eye.  My accents include pearls, a pearl flourish, some May Arts Ribbon and some machine stitching to dress up the horizontal panel.  This is an older sketch from the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club (MFTWSC74).  

Thanks so much for taking a moment to visit with me.  Cinderella is off to finish cleaning the castle!  (Thank goodness the bathrooms are done and the dusting is started.  Vacuuming and washing the floor is next on the list, and then some more stamping!!)  Have a terrific weekend...Toodles!   :D

Celebrate!

Hello Friends and Happy Friday!  I'm sorry to be a little late with my post but I had a hard time with this card.  My sewing machine is not working too well.  Basically, it is eating my card stock as I pass it through the machine...ugh!  After so many tries today, this girl just gave up and made the card without sewing.  Hope that you like it just the same!

Here are all of the details.  This creation is for Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge and for today's Blogger's Challenge (Celebrate the 4th of July) from Lisa Somerville.  My main image is from All That Scraps.  It is Sweet November's Betsy.  She is colored up with Copic Markers (B24, B37, B39, C0, C1, C3, E000, E00, E01, E23, E25, E27, E29, E30, E50, R11, R29, R59, Y32, Y35, YR12, and the Colorless Blender) and then I fussy cut her out.  She is mounted to a kraft layer that I embossed with the Seeing Spots embossing folder.  The papers are from the Let Freedom Ring collection from Pebbles.  The sentiment is from the My Favorite Things Pure Innocence Birthday Princess.  The stars and the file tab were made with MFT Die-namics dies.  I added some wooden buttons and some navy Baker's Twine to finish off the card.

Thanks so much for visiting with me tonight!  I hope that you have a wonderful weekend...Toodles!  :D

A Day at the Beach

Hold onto your hats, Friends!  I'm posting AGAIN...lol!  I haven't posted for three weeks, and now, I've posted four days in a row.  I'll hold off for a couple of days now...I promise!  My friend Linda loves Impression Obsession stamps, well she really loves many stamp companies, but she plays along in the Impression Obsession challenge most weeks.  I have one of their stamps.  It's called, "A Day at the Beach - H1743" and it is the one that you see here.  After seeing Linda's beautiful card for this week's challenge (Red, White, and Blue), I decided to ink my beach stamp up and give it a try too.  Please click here to play along in the Impression Obsession challenge. 

It was so much fun to color up this beautiful image.  It took me awhile and it took a boatload of Copic Markers, but I enjoyed every minute of it!  Here is the list of Copic Markers (B00, B02, B12, B23, B24, BG53, C1, E23, E40, E41, E42, R20, R27, R30, R32, R39, Y11, YG61, and the Colorless Blender.)  My card base is kraft and I used navy layers.  My only other accents are the large red gingham ribbon and some paper piecing.  I kept things simple so that my image would be the focus. 

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit with me.  I'll see you soon...Toodles!  :D

Sketch For You To Try!

Happy Sunday Friends!  Just a lovely day here in New England.  My boys went golfing and I went shopping with my parents.  Right now, I'm listening to John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molasky on their radio show, Radio Deluxe.  For the last three Sundays, we've just sat on the back deck and listened to their show.  What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon!  I hope that you are enjoying your Sunday too! 

Here is my card for Jen Del Muro's June Sketch For You To Try.  Just click here to play along.  You can enter your creation until the end of the month.  I used my little mermaid from Your Next Stamp again.  She is from the Happy Days Mermaid set.  I colored her up with Copic Markers (BG000, BG01, E000, E00, E01, E23, E25, and R11) and then I fussy cut her out.  I also added some Star Dust Stickles for the sparkle.  The papers are scraps from my stash.  My other accents include some Hero Arts Lace, Stampin' Up Buttons, and a bit of machine stitching. 

Have a terrific start to the work week.  Thanks so much for visiting with me this afternoon!  Until next time...Toodles!  :D

Thankful For You!

Hello again Friends!  I finished up my card for the sketch challenge from the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club this morning, so I thought that I'd quickly post it.  You can find all of the details to play along on the My Favorite Things Blog.

I started off with this summery Pure Innocence image from the MFT Feeling Froggy set.  She and her sidekick are colored up with Copic Markers (B21, B23, B24, B26, C5, E000, E00, E01, E23, E25, R11, R24, R27, Y38, YG45, and the Colorless Blender) and then I fussy cut them out.  All of the patterned papers are from the Summer Fresh collection from Simple Stories.  The sentiment is from the MFT Pure Innocence Pumpkin Patch Girl set and my polka dotted sun was made with the MFT Sunshine Die-namics.  My accents include navy card stock and navy grosgrain ribbon, a wooden button with some blue Baker's Twine, and a little bit of machine stitching.

This was a fun sketch to work with.  I liked all of the panels.  I'm glad that you could stop by for a visit.  Summer is in full swing here in New England!  I hope that you have a chance to enjoy some of this beautiful weekend.  Until next time...Toodles!  :D



You Make Me Happy!

Hello Friends and Happy Friday!  School is out and I'm ready to get back into a somewhat regular stamping schedule.  I'm starting today with this week's Blogger's Challenge.  To play along, please visit Lisa Somerville's Blog here.  This week's challenge is a sketch. 

My sweet friend Linda made a resolution at the beginning of the year to buy some stamps from some of the other wonderful companies out there.  I teamed up with her last month and we placed an order from Your Next Stamp.  This delightful little mermaid and the sentiment are from their Happy Days set.  She is colored up with Copic Markers (E000, E00, E01, E23, E25, Y21, YR30, and YR31) and then I fussy cut her out.  I also added lots of Star Dust Stickles for some sparkle.  All of the papers are from the Gertie collection from My Mind's Eye.  I added some machine stitching to the main panel and then I added a black button from Papertrey Ink with some Baker's Twine. 

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and visit with me.  Have a wonderful weekend!  I'll be back very soon!  Until then...Toodles! 

Last Minute Lucy!

Happy Thursday Friends!  It is the last day of the month and if I want to post my creation for Jen Del Muro's Monthly Sketch For You To Try, then I'd better get in high gear and post it!!  I combined Jen's sketch with the TCP Tuesday Challenge from The Cat's Pajamas.  This time the challenge is to add paper pleating to your creation and the wide, horizontal strip on the sketch seemed like the perfect place to add some.

 My main image and sentiment are from the Ewe Complete Me set from The Cat's Pajamas. I used my Copic Markers to color up the image (C1, C3, RV17, V05, and YG13) and then I fussy cut it out.  I also used the TCP Heart Trio CutUps.  Some patterned paper and twine from the Lime Twist Collection from My Mind's Eye, a little bit of faux stitching, and a Rich Razzleberry button complete my creation.

Here is the link to Jen's Blog if you can squeeze her wonderful sketch in before 11:59 pm tonight, and here is the link to play along with the TCP Tuesday Challenge.  Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit!  Until next time...Toodles!  :D

Graduation Time and Jazz with John Pizzarelli!

Hello Friends!  How are you?  I hope that all is well in your neck of the woods!  Last night, my darling husband and I had the pleasure of meeting John Pizzarelli.  (If you live in the New England area and have heard the Foxwood's Casino song, then you have had the pleasure of hearing John Pizzarelli.)  We went to Sculler's Jazz Club in Boston (a belated celebration of my 40th birthday) and had a simply wonderful evening!  John Pizzarelli is an amazing jazz guitarist and he is (rightfully so) part of the John Pizzarelli Quartet, which is also quite talented.  They played some of the new songs from their latest recording, Double Exposure, and some of my favorite Frank Sinatra standards.  It was just a marvelous evening, and to top it off, we had the chance to meet with him for a few moments after the performance.  All and all, being forty is looking pretty good!

Now, onto my card.  I just didn't have the time to post yesterday because of all of the celebrating that was going on after school.  So here I am, a little late, with this week's Blogger's Challenge (Graduation theme) and I combined it with the sketch from the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club.  (You can click on the links above to play along too.)  One of my co-workers needed a graduation card for her daughter, and this is what I came up with.  The My Favorite Things a' la modes Grad Girl is colored up with Copic Markers (E000, E00, E01, E13, E15, E40, E41, G02, G07, R11, Y32, and Y35) and layered with black card stock.  The patterned papers are from the Portrait Collection from Crate Paper.  My other accents include the Die-namics Double Open Scallop Border, Satin Ribbon, Classic and Scallop Oval Nestabilities, and a Pearl Flourish from Recollections.  I hope that this will be perfect for Nicole's college graduation.

Thank you so much for taking a moment to stop by and visit with me.  Have a beautiful weekend!  Until next time...Toodles!  :D 

For Baby!

Happy Friday Friends!  I'm actually posting Blogger's Challenge on the correct day...imagine that!!  I even combined this week's challenge (Baby theme) with the sketch from the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club.  To play along with Blogger's Challenge, please visit Lisa Somerville's Blog and to play along with the sketch challenge, please visit the My Favorite Things Blog.

I started with this fun My Favorite Things a' la mode girl.  This set is called, "Oh Baby!"  She is colored up with Copic Markers (BG10, BG11, E000, E00, E01, E31, E33, E35, R11, R81, R83, R85, Y21, Y26, and YG93.)  All of the papers are from the Hazel collection from My Mind's Eye.  The accents include a heart made with the MFT Die-namics, some Aqua Mist buttons and ribbon from Papertrey Ink, and some machine stitching on the main panel.

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit today.  I hope to be back this weekend with another card to share.  Until then...Toodles!  :D

For Mother's Day

Hello Friends and Happy Saturday!  Hope that you are all well!  I have quick post today for this week's Blogger's Challenge.  The theme is called, "Celebrating Mom."  To play along, please visit Lisa Somerville's blog.

My Elzybell's image is colored up with Copic Markers (B0000, BG000, BG01, C7, G21, Y21, Y26, YG13, YG17, YR14) and then mounted to a piece of Papertrey Ink kraft card stock.  The patterned papers are from My Mind's Eye and the sentiment is from Inkadinkado.  I finished this card off with a wooden button and some machine stitching.

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit!  It's time for Cinderella to finish vacuuming...ha!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend...Toodles!  

Just For You!

Hello Friends!  Tomorrow is the deadline for Jen Del Muro's April Sketch For You To Try.  I'm squeezing this one in just under the wire! 

I used this sweet digital image from Mabelle Ramirez-Ortiz.  Her Etsy shop is called Whimsy and Stars Studio.  You can check out her other images here.  After I printed this beauty out, I colored her up with Copic Markers (BG10, BG18, C0, E000, E00, E01, E35, E37, E57, R11, Y21, YG45, YR30, and the Colorless Blender.)

The papers are from the Dilly Dally Collection from My Mind's Eye.  The sentiment is from the Fresh From the Oven set from My Favorite Things.  All of the buttons are Papertrey Ink and to finish off my card, I added lots of machine stitching.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and visit with me.  I seem to be having lots of issues with the new set up from Blogger, hence the reason for the lack of posts, but I'm slowly working through it.  The good news is that I only have 35 more days of school (but who's counting...lol) and then I can stamp away and try to figure out all of these computer glitches!  Until next time...Toodles!  :D   

Hello Again!!

Hello Friends! I'm back and feeling much better. The eyedrops are working wonders and my new glasses arrived on Thursday. It is so good to be able see clearly! I've missed coloring and crafting so much!! I've really missed reading everyone's blogs too! I'm hoping to check in with all of my blogging friends at some point this weekend.

Here is my card for yesterday's Blogger's Challenge. This week's challenge is a sketch from Lisa Somerville. Please visit her blog (www.lisasomerville.com) for all of the details to play along. (Apparently, Blogger is still not letting me add links to my blog posts.) My image is from Lili of the Valley stamps. These cute little mice are colored up with Copic Markers (C0, C1, C3, E11, E13, E40, E42, R35, R46 R83, YG93, YG95, and the Colorless Blender.) The sentiment is an oldie from Stampin' Up. All of the papers are from My Mind's Eye. The open scallops are made with My Favorite Things Die-Namics. The button is from Papertrey Ink and I finished this card off with lots of machine sewing.

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit with me, and thanks to all of my friends for checking in on me. You are the BEST! Enjoy the rest of the weekend...Toodles! :D

Quick Update!

Hello Friends! Nothing crafty to share with you today, but I wanted to check in to say hello. The last few weeks, I have been away from crafting and catching up with all of my favorite bloggers because I have been having a little bit of a vision problem. It is just one eye, but until the new eye drops kick in and my new glasses arrive, I'm limiting my computer time and crafting. It just ends up causing a big headache! Hope that you are all well! Thanks to those who have been checking in on me! Until next time...Toodles! :D

Another Birthday Card to Share!!

Hello Friends! I have another birthday card to share with you. This time around I used the sketch from the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club. I've had this Pure Innocence cutie in my stash for some time now, and she was just begging to meet some ink! I colored her up with a whole bunch of different Copic Markers (B26, BG02, BG07, C3, C7, E000, E00, E01, E13, E15, E23, E25, E40, E42, R11, R29, Y11, YG17, YR16) and I paper pieced her beret. The papers are from My Mind's Eye. My accents include the My Favorite Things Die-namics Pretty Posies dies, a Papertrey Ink button, some faux stitching, and some machine stitching. I'm off to watch my favorite show...Castle! Thank you for stopping by to visit with me...Toodles! :D

The Cat's Pajamas Meets Jen's SFYTT!

Hello Friends! I'm back this evening with another creation to share. This time around, I'm combining this week's inspiration challenge from The Cat's Pajamas with Jen Del Muro's March Sketch For You To Try. Again, I apologize for not providing the links to these challenges, but for some reason, my linking tool is not working. The Cat's Pajamas challenge is found at 'www.dancinginpajamas.blogspot.com' and Jen's sketch can be found at 'www.iheart2stamp.com'. This sweet bear is from the TCP Peeking set. He is from their winter release, but I'm using him here for one of the many birthday cards that I need this month. I colored him up with Copic Markers (E21, E23, E25, and E51) and then I paper pieced his present and fussy cut him out. The sentiment is from the TCP Birthday Bunny set. All of the papers are from My Mind's Eye. I used Jen's sketch for the layout. My accents include some Divine Twine, a button from my stash, the Seeing Spots embossing folder, and some machine stitching. I think that this card will be for my Dad's birthday. Thanks so much for visiting with me tonight! Have a happy start to the work week...Toodles! :D

Late Again!!

Good Evening Friends!! How are you? I'm scrambling for time lately. I just can't seem to get ahead of the game, but that's okay...at least I'm still in the game...right? This card is for yesterday's Blogger's Challenge. It was made, photographed, and all ready to post, but it just didn't happen. As you can see, this week's theme is birthdays. Please head over to Lisa Somerville's Blog for all of the details to play along. (I'm sorry...for some reason neither computer is letting me highlight the link.)

March and April are big birthday months in my house and for many friends too. My birthday is even this month! However, this is a birthday card for a special little guy. He loves video games, so I bought this image with him in mind. It is from Lili of the Valley stamps and the sentiment is from The Cat's Pajamas. All of the papers are from My Mind's Eye and the sketch is from Monday's Mojo Sketch.

I'm off to check in on all of my blogging friends and see what they've been up to. Thanks so much for stopping by! We have some things to do tomorrow for church, but after that, I'm hoping to spend the afternoon stamping and creating. Until then...Toodles! :D

Happy Monday!

Hello Friends! I have a couple of things to share with you tonight, so please bear with me. First up, my sweet, stamping friend Linda Monroe, has passed along a special blogging award to me called The Liebster Award. I get to pass this award on to 5 other bloggers. Here is how it all works...

1. Link back to the person who gave you the award and thank them for thinking of you. (Check!)
2. Post the award on your blog. (Check!)
3. Pass the award along to 5 creative bloggers (with less than 200 followers) who inspire you. (Check!)
4. Leave a comment on the blogs of the 5 people you've chosen to let them know about the award. (On to that, just after I finish this!)

I passing my five awards along to...(in no particular order)

Nancy Thomas
Vickie Zimmer
Alma de la Rosa
Wanda Guess
Dana White

Please take a moment to click on their names. You'll be sent right over to their blogs and you can see all of their crafty goodness. Be sure to swing by Linda's Blog too. (Just click on her name above.) Thanks so much for thinking of me Linda!!

Next up, I have last Friday's Blogger's Challenge to share with you. Now I know, I'm a few days late, but here it is anyway. Our challenge was to create something three dimensional. I fell in love with Joanne Basile's Photo Frame Wipe Off Board when I first saw it, so I decided to try one for myself. I'm calling this a "Remember Board" to write down all of those little things that I seem to forget. Here's mine...

All of the papers are from My Mind's Eye. The rose were made with the My Favorite Things Die-namics Rolled Rose Die and some MFT felt. I also used the My Favorite Things Die-namics Fancy Flourish Die. Here is a close up shot of the roses and the flourish.

Now, we are onto the last part of my post (if anyone is still reading...lol!) Here is my card for the sketch from the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club. You can find the sketch and all of the details to play along on the My Favorite Things blog.


This little guy has been in my Pure Innocence collection for quite awhile now. I thought that it was about time that he and some ink were introduced. The image and sentiment are from the Splish, Splash set. He is colored up with Copic Markers (B41, BG11, E000, E00, E01, E23, YR20, and YR21) and cut out with the Classic Circle Nestabilities. The papers are from My Little Shoe Box and My Mind's Eye. Some black card stock layers and a kraft card stock base finish this one off.

Thanks so much for visiting with me this evening. Have a terrific Tuesday...Toodles! :D

Blogger's Challenge Sketch!

Happy Friday Friends! I am SO happy that the weekend is here! Do you have any fun things planned? We have a quiet one ahead of us, and that's just how I like it!

The card I have to share with you today is for this week's Blogger's Challenge sketch. If you would like to play along with the challenge, just head over to Lisa Somerville's blog for all of the details. My love affair with these Pure Innocence sweethearts from My Favorite Things continues. This little lovely is from their PI Poppy set. She is colored up with Copic Markers (BG72, BG75, E000, E00, E01, E23, E25, R35, R37, RV10, YG13, and YG17) and then fussy cut out and popped up with foam squares. All of the patterned papers are from My Mind's Eye. My other accents include some brads and some machine stitching.

Thanks so much for visiting with me this evening. I hope that you enjoy your weekend...Toodles! :D