pinkflannelpajamas

You're Purr-fect!

2012-02-05T09:24:00.001-05:00

(Pre-blog post question: Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong that is making the colors of my photos different? The first one is spot-on, but the others all have that blue tint. Same camera & settings. Same Ott-Lite & background. All taken within 15-20 seconds of each other. Happens all the time - UGH! Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Moving on to the post . . .)

(sniffle, sneeze, cough) I'm behind on my creating & posting because for a week now, I've been incubating the upper respiratory ick that everyone seems to have these days. The last 3 days have been miserable, but I am feeling a tad better and hope it's a sign that the worst is over.

It may have taken me a few days (!!) but I finally finished my card for this week's Splitcoaststampers Sketch Challenge #370.

I was actually going to make this a pull-tag card, until I inadvertently damaged the card front, so I made it into a fancy fold instead.

I love this kitty critter by Penny Black that I received in an image swap. I have no PB stamps, but after browsing the website, I'm in love with Mimi and the Critters, so I'll be doing my part to stimulate the economy by adding to my rubber collection! All of the cardstock, patterned papers, and embellies are from my stash. And because you can't have too many pearls, especially on Valentine's Day, I added some minis to the sentiment by Studio G.

Last week, the one & only Original Punxsutawney Phil may have predicted 6 more weeks of winter, but if temps from mid-40's to upper-50's and sunshine with only a few snow showers in between are his version of that, I'll take it!... Although, I'm sure we're not going to get away unscathed without a big winter storm before the first day of spring. I truly hope you steer clear of the "sick ick" and if you are somewhere that's getting pounded by winter, I hope you're safe and warm! Happy stamping!

Be Happy

2012-01-28T20:05:00.001-05:00

Oh how I've missed stamping and blogging and blurfing! I have a combo card for you today!

When I stumbled upon Color Throwdown (CTD) and The Friday Mashup (FM), I knew these were challenges I'd enjoy doing on a regular basis, so rather than creating a card for each, I combined them into one. Obviously, this is nothing new - others do this all the time and why it took me so long to see the light, I'll never know. But it suddenly struck me that this two-for-one deal is a way for me not to burn out on stamping again. Duh!

(sorry for the quality; gray & cloudy when I took this.)

CTD176 was to use Stampin' Up! Pool Party, Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, and Rose Red, or similar colors. I used Soft Sky, LSS kraft, Chocolate Chip, and Rose Red. The patterned papers in Wild Raspberry from K&Co. (one of my all-time faves!) were perfect pairings for this color combo!

FM43 was to make a project using: a) the featured sketch, or b) something new from your stash, or c) Mash It Up and do both, so I chose to Mash It Up! The something new was the cute birdbath image from SU's Touch of Kindness set. I inked up some of the images for my stash when I was at my pal Gwen's for the shoebox swap, but I think I'll have to get this set for myself. I added some Stickles to the water and a few Dewdrops for sparkle, and I made that little tag with Tim Holtz Fragments - I love these things!

I hope you enjoy this "mashed up" creation, and maybe you'll be inspired to try one or both of these challenges! Until next time, happy stamping!

Thinking of You - SC369

2012-01-26T13:51:00.003-05:00

Hello bloggers! I am on a mission to stick with my plan to create and post a card for at least the SCS card sketch challenge every week. And I'm already 2 for 2!

I was excited when I saw this week's sketch challenge #369. The diagonal and horizontal pieces offer so many options - ribbon, embossing, wire, pearls, distressing...WAIT! Why not hand-made distressed & embossed wired pearl-edged ribbon!

But I told my pal Gwen that I was doing a simple card this week, to which she snorted, Yeah, right. Well, girlfriend, look who's snorting now! tee-hee-hee!

The patterned paper is from Cosmo Cricket's Mitten Weather collection. The colors and patterns are so versatile that you can use them for just about anything, not just winter or holiday projects! And that cute little guy from Inkadinkado's mini-set Thinking of You is colored with just a handful of Copics, not my usual 37! A trio of Kaiser pearls adds the finishing touch.

Pretty simple and straightforward, although I did go one step further by finishing the inside just a wee bit. I love receiving cards with an embellished inside - such an unexpected little surprise! - and I need to make the effort to do that more often!

Thanks for stopping by today. If you haven't already, you should give the SCS Card Sketches a try! Happy stamping!

Hello! Remember Me?

2012-01-21T18:57:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm not surprised if you don't, since it's been over half a year since I posted! Last June, I felt a need to take a hiatus from blogging and stamping for a while. And I'm happy to say that must have been what I needed, because I'm excited to have ink-stained fingers and a less-than-clean crafting desk again!

A few of my friends finally had our first "shoebox swap" on Monday, something we've been wanting to do for a long time. (Actually, the crafting was over well before the chatting.) It was so much fun that my friend Gwen & I have decided to create the SCS card sketch each week to keep our mojos motivated. So for my first post back in the saddle - or should I say back in the stamp room - I give you my take of this week's card sketch!

The cute image from SU's retired Snow Angels is colored with Copics & sparkled with some diamond Stickles, and I think that big sparkly fabric snowflake that I received from a stampin' friend was a perfect accent. A smaller glittery snowflake, some silver embroidery filament, and a few self-stick silver brads gave more added sparkle. (Who knew when I made this the other day that we'd wake to 7 inches of new snow today?!)

If you've stopped by for a peek to see if perhaps I fell off the planet (glad I didn't!), please leave a comment so that I know you were here! Until next time, happy stamping! :-)

I'm A Lucky KitCat Gal!

2011-06-10T08:59:00.000-04:00

Why am I so lucky, you ask? Because each month, I get to play with the other Kittens in the KitCat card creation club! Well, it's not a club, actually; just some online Sistahs who take turns sending kits to each other and then posting our creations on the first Sunday of each month ..... What's that? It's not the first Sunday? Oh, uh, well, then I'm also lucky that we Kittens are very understanding when our schedules are sometimes like merry-go-rounds!

(click any image for a close-up view)

This month, the gorgeous Kelly was our hostess and my-oh-my, what a beautiful kit she sent, filled with shimmery DPs, luscious ribbons, sparkly buttons, Prima flowers, butterfly bling, and sweet "Wishing You Luck" images from MFT's A La Mode line! Kelly must be working on her KSP (kitten sensory perception) because a dear friend recently landed a new job, and Kelly's kit helped me create the perfect "good luck" card for her!

I colored the image with Copics, but I honestly had not planned to Nestie her feet away! Apparently, E000, which I recently refilled (a little too much perhaps?) got a wee bit carried away once let out of the box after a month of being unloved, and, Bam! Ink blob!

I had a hard time deciding which K&Co.'s Botanicals DPs to use, but I kept going back to the shimmery leaves and sparkly butterflies. And as soon as I added the brocade & velvet trim by Wrights, I knew why - the combo immediately reminded me of a floaty, breezy, Bohemian-style shirt I saw while shopping recently, somewhere. Now I just need to remember where!

Be sure to visit the other Kittens as they "tried their luck" with Kelly's kit! (sorry, couldn't resist!)
* Kelly * Jeanette * Michelle * Lorie *

The Kittens are taking a summer hiatus and will be back in September, and I may be doing the same. I've accumulated way too much stuff in my crafty room. I already have a big shopping bag of items to donate to my friend's Relay for Life cause, but I need to do more purging and decluttering, not just in here, but all over the house. Maybe it's a middle-age thing, but I have an overwhelming need to simplify! So I'm not sure when I'll next have a post, but you know me. Could be in 2 days or 2 weeks. LOL!

Thanks for stopping by! Wishing you a wonderful day!

(Pedal) Power to the KitCats!

2011-05-01T17:06:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone and welcome to this month's KitCat Sunday!

It was my turn to play hostess, so I decided that we Kittens were taking a bicycle ride! Growing up in the picturesque little town of Beaver PA (go Bobcats!), bicycling was, and still is, what kids of all ages do from the first semi-warm spring day until the first snowflakes fly! My friends and I were no exceptions, traveling *everywhere* on our bikes: school, the pool & playgrounds, the penny candy store, softball games, running market errands for our moms, and of course, to the local Dairy Queen!

(click image for a close-up view)

I recently got my hands on the retired "Time For You" set from Stampin Up!, so of course, each Kitten's kit included some of the super-cute bicycle images as well as die-cut papers from K&Co.'s Sweet Nectar collection and a slew of coordinating buttons, flowers, bling, and stitched ribbon! I sealed the envies before I addressed them (including mine) so I wouldn't know who was getting which colors.

Pedal over to the other Kittens' blogs with me to see who got what colors and to check out their whimsical creations!
* Michelle * Kelly * Jeanette * Lorie *

Thanks for stopping by to visit! Happy pedaling!

The KitCats Are Hittin' The Beach, Cheeky Style!

2011-04-10T09:56:00.000-04:00

Welcome to another KitCat Sunday! After a loooong winter, our hostess Jeanette decided that we Kittens deserved to go on a spring break! Yay for us! (You can click any image for a close-up view.)

I was thrilled when I saw The Greeting Farm's Cheeky Beach bomshell (already on my uber-long TGF wish list!) among a wonderful assortment of beach-inspired papers, brads, rhinestones, tags, and trims!

I featured the fun Airbrushed Waves and Sketchy Beach Icons papers, and mimicked the sparkling water with blue rhinestones, all by Paper Studio.

My Cheeky Beach babe is colored with Copics and perched with her seashells on a "hammock" of webbed ribbon by Creative Impressions. (I must get some of that stuff!)

I colored & fussy cut a flower from one of the other images, and chose "Dreamy" from the fun fabric tags set by EK Success.

Jeanette, thanks for such a beachy-licious kit!

Be sure to visit the other KitCats at the beach to see what they've done with their spring break beach kits:
* Jeanette * Kelly * Michelle * Lorie *

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful day!

The Reason For The Easter Season Blog Hop!

2011-04-07T09:00:00.034-04:00

Welcome! In light of the true meaning of Easter, we friends of faith have gathered together to celebrate and share the Good News of this Easter season, and we're so glad you've stopped by!

This is indeed a blessed time of year, as we remember Christ's sacrifice on the cross at Calvary and celebrate his triumphant victory over death! Our purpose these 3 days is to draw the attention back to Jesus Christ during this Easter season, just as we did with our Christmas version of "Jesus Is The Reason" hop.

If your first stop was here at my blog, you'll want to start at the beginning over at Heather's blog so you don't miss a thing!

In the United States especially, Easter has become about the bunnies and candy and hunting for colored eggs. And while they are cute and amuse us, they can also distract us from the real cause for celebration: the most amazing event in history - the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

My Easter celebration card features the beautiful cross and sentiment from the Gina K Designs Easter Blessings set, which I clear embossed in Perfect Plum and colored with Copics. The Swiss Dots embossed background panel is sponged with some white craft ink, and a few beautiful paper roses are added for a finishing touch. Cardstock is all Stampin Up! in a spring combo of Certainly Celery and the retired colors Apricot Appeal and Orchid Opulence. (I am still sad that almost all of the SU Soft Subtles are gone.)

While we cannot even begin to reciprocate the Lord's gift to us, there is "blog candy" on some of the hop stops as a token of appreciation for your comments and encouragement!

We also invite you to celebrate the real "Reason for the Season" by posting your own creation celebrating Christ's Resurrection. There is a place to link at the last stop on Catherine's blog, and a prize is up for grabs for one randomly selected card or project.

Your next stop is Karen's delightful blog!

Enjoy the hop and God bless!

Susan :-)

Here is the complete Reason For The Easter Season hop order:
Heather http://joemamainks.blogspot.com/
Kelly http://sandcastlestamper.blogspot.com/
Maria http://joyfulstamper.blogspot.com/
Sammi http://stuffbysammi.blogspot.com/
Lorie http://thethinkinspot.blogspot.com/
Stacy http://impressionsofaribbonaddict.blogspot.com/
Kadie http://mymindseyecreations.blogspot.com/
Carolyn http://utsukushiikami.blogspot.com/
Paola http://paola-sama.blogspot.com/
Linda http://stamperstouch.blogspot.com/
Susan http://pinkflannelpajamas.blogspot.com/ - You are here!
Karen http://krbskorner.blogspot.com/
Catherine http://paperaddictcatherine.blogspot.com/

KitCats - Like Peas in a Pod!

2011-03-06T00:01:00.022-05:00

Welcome to this month's KitCat Sunday!

This month we're each our own Hostess using our own supplies AND this *adorable* Five Peas in a Pod digi that Kitten Kelly commissioned last year from Tracy at Sugar Creek Hollow to create just for us! You can get your hands on your own digi here. Don't worry, blog friends - we're not digi sharing. The commissioned digi that Kelly paid for included the right for her to provide each of us Kittens a copy to use.

So, tell me - how can you not smile or giggle when you see those five expressive faces!?! I've been known to use umpteen Copics on an image, but this one only took four. Yep, only four! (well, okay, five if you count the dots for the cheeks.)

I chose to use green all the way, and the Origins collection by BasicGrey was perfect! Because the patterns are all so beautiful, I chose to use just a few details to finish the card: a few punched leaf branches from SU's two-step bird punch and some soft green rhinestones from Kaiser.

So there you have it! I just love this image and love Kelly for having it created for us. We Kittens are just like peas in a pod!

Be sure to check out what the other Kittens created:
* Kelly * Michelle * Lorie * Jeanette *

Thanks for stopping by! Until next time, Happy Stamping!

Claudia and Company Customer Blog Hop!

2011-02-25T09:59:00.102-05:00

Hello and Welcome to Claudia and Company's first ever Customer Blog Hop! We’re so excited to have you join us!

Today Claudia and Company is celebrating all of US: their dear friends and customers, and that includes YOU!

If you’ve just joined the fun, be sure to pop over to the Claudia and Company Blog to start the hop and get all the deets!

My card for the hop features Puddle Jumper Daisy - she is so darn cute!!

I colored her with Copics, but got a little carried away with the dark brown in her hair. Sometimes, you just have to know when to say when! I love the patterns and warm colors of the papers in the Pretty Please collection from My Minds Eye. On the day I made this card, we were in the midst of yet another winter storm, but these cheery papers reminded me that spring wasn't too far away! Two layered Prima flower clusters and some dew drops finish this simple 6" square card.

Be sure and leave a comment on each of today’s fabulous posts, to be eligible for the prizes that are up for grabs! You'll have until Monday, February 28, at 12 pm EST to comment. Winners will be announced on March 1, during their Release Day Showcase.

Below is the complete list of stops on the Hop! Thanks for joining us and happy hopping! - Susan :-)

LORi: http://byloridesigns.blogspot.com/
Tracy: http://eatsleepstamp.typepad.com/
Sheri: http://papercraftyscreations.blogspot.com/
Sandra: http://paperfuntastics.blogspot.com/
Krista: http://craftylittlepigtails.blogspot.com/
Kadie: http://mymindseyecreations.blogspot.com/
Piali: http://touchofcreation.blogspot.com/
Joni: http://astickysituation.blogspot.com/
Gwen: http://www.gwensbusylittlehands.blogspot.com/
Sheng: http://livelaughlovetomorrowmaynevercome.blogspot.com/
Margie: http://ohbumbleismemargie.blogspot.com/
Kelly: http://sandcastlestamper.blogspot.com/
Jeanette: http://creativeplayischeaperthantherapy.blogspot.com/
Cara: http://carasscrapnstampart.blogspot.com/
Kimmarie: http://kimmarieskorner.blogspot.com/
Arielle: http://snappystamper.blogspot.com/
Hannah: http://hbbug.blogspot.com/
Beverly: http://sugarstamper.blogspot.com/
Sharette: http://scrappernthemaking.blogspot.com/
Joy: http://daiseyfreak.blogspot.com/
Susan: http://pinkflannelpajamas.blogspot.com/ - That's me!
Carol: http://lostinmycraftroom.blogspot.com/
Nicole: http://gottahavepaper.blogspot.com/
Paola: http://paola-sama.blogspot.com/
Mary J: http://maryjdesigns.blogspot.com/
April: http://aprilsalley.blogspot.com/
Barb: http://inkingintoretirement.blogspot.com/
Lorie: http://www.thethinkinspot.blogspot.com/
Sarabeth: http://www.chroniclesofsarita.blogspot.com/
Catherine: http://paperaddictcatherine.blogspot.com/
Veronica: http://lk2thestarz.blogspot.com/
Jessica: http://chick-n-scrap.blogspot.com/
Judy: http://paperhugsandkisses.blogspot.com/
Taylor: http://taylorusry.blogspot.com/
Lysa: http://lysaq.blogspot.com/
Jen: http://deconstructingjen.com/
Jess: http://thewhimsicalbutterfly.blogspot.com/
Pam: http://stampingpam.blogspot.com/
Heather: http://heathersheavinlystampations.blogspot.com/
Mary: http://alatteinkinfun.blogspot.com/
Claudia: http://claudiaandcompany.blogspot.com/

A Rainy Start for the SOTC

2011-02-12T12:56:00.000-05:00

Today's post features my card for January's Sisterhood of the Travling Cards. Our hostess was Maryann (mastuff) and her theme was New Year's Day wake-up weather.

I really thought I'd be making a snow-themed card; after all, we were in the midst of a snowier-than-normal December. But alas, we woke up to rain. Not very pretty, but it did give me a chance to use one of my fav digis, HG Rain Rain from The Greeting Farm. She's colored with Copics and snazzed up just a little with pearl "buttons" on her coat and hat.

Even though she's all smiles, I didn't want the card to feel like a "downer", so I chose some floral papers in K and Co.'s Amy Butler Lotus Faded China collection. The colors represented what I saw looking out the window that day: dark gray clouds, peeks of blue sky now and then, and the yellowish-green of last-year's needles on the neighbor's white pine trees.

We might have started the year warmer than normal, but the rest of January and early February gave us our typical snowy, windy, cold weather. Even though Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow and the forecast calls for temps in the 50s this week, we're certainly not out of the woods yet. Remember March 1993?? But I am oh-so ready to ditch my winter wool coat and break out the spring clothes!

Thanks for visitng today! Have a great day!

A Perfectly Poisonous KitCat Monday!

2011-02-07T23:40:00.000-05:00

I know - it's supposed to be KitCat SUNday, but yours truly had no camera. Lighting was terrible yesterday anyway. When yours truly got a camera today, the batteries were toast. Batteries now charged, but at this hour, the lighting is worse than terrible. Enough whining already.

The extraordinary Michelle was our hostess, and she sent us an equally extraordinary kit featuring some sassy and fun images from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps! I finally decided on Perfect Poison which I colored with Copics. Love her expression! I also added a little bling to her dress with some pink rhinestones from the kit.

I think SU's Chocolate Chip, Blush Blossom, and Certainly Celery are perfect complements the yummy Jack and Jill papers from Prima that Michelle chose for us.

Of course, she also included one wonderful embellie after another, but then I saw IT: the amazing tulle flower from Prima! And then I saw THEM: the fantastic jeweled pins! The green/yellow is from Jillibean Soup and the pink/irridescent is from KatzWorld. And look at the gorgeous striped ribbon!

So there you have my KitCat creation for this month! Be sure to check out the gorgeous creations by the other Kittens: Michelle, Jeanette, Lorie, and Kelly.
Before I go, I must give a big congrats to the Green Bay Packers for winning Super Bowl XLV! (Our Kitten Michelle is a huge fan!) Of course I was disappointed that my beloved Steelers couldn't pull it out in the end ... I was really hoping to go to another victory parade this week. But it was a great game nonetheless!

Thanks for stopping by to visit. Have a great day!

Apple Of My Eye!

2011-01-22T11:25:00.001-05:00

I'm glad I finally decided to post my December SOTC card today because it's a whopping 5 degrees here at the moment, and this card reminds me of summer!

(click images to enlarge)

Our lovely hostess Donna (SCS=cricutqueen) challenged us to use our favorite color or color combo. You know I adore pink, but I've been dying to use the retired SU Farm Fresh set I recently scored and couldn't see pink working with it. So I decided to use another fav combo of mine, citrusy greens and tropical blues!

The cute Apple Of My Eye image is simply colored with Copics and matted onto a Sizzix tag that I sponged with SU Craft White, tied with coordinating ribbon, and finished with a crisp white button tied with DMC floss. The faux quilt background squares are from the yummy K&Co. Que Sera Sera collection, some of which I dry embossed with various Cuttlebug EFs for texture. A few Dew Drops in the corners finish the card. I hope the Sisters who receive one feel the summery vibe!

The arctic temps outside make this the perfect weekend for stamping today and cheering my PITTSBURGH STEELERS tomorrow in the AFC Championship game as they continue to climb the Stairway To Seven! ;-)

Thanks for visiting! Have a wonderful day!

Oh Baby! It's KitCat Sunday!

2011-01-02T17:41:00.000-05:00

It's the first KitCat for 2011!!!

The lovely Lorie was our January hostess with the mostest! Lorie just became a grandma to sweet little Maxwell, so she sent us a baby-inspired kit overflowing with sparkly papers from My Mind's Eye & Penny Lane, organza ribbons and flat-back pearls in shades of blue & pink, Martha Stewart glitter & a Quickie Glue pen, AND the adorable Winter Baby in Teacup stamp & a vinyl brag booklet from Peachy Keen Stamps (which, by the way, is offering a 10% discount throughout January!) Oh Baby!

(click image to enlarge)

For the cover insert, I masked the snowflake portion of the image and covered the snowflake on her cap with a Prima flower, because I want this to be a "seasonless" gift for a dear friend who has a beautiful granddaughter named Cailyn. She's already 2, but I think that Grandma Gwen might enjoy keeping some of her favorite pics of Cailyn in this to tuck into her purse! I layered some of the gorgeous DP and used some of the pearls, glitter, and organza ribbon. I'll be making a card to go with this using the unmasked image and more of the papers & embellies, so watch for that in the next couple days.

Be sure to check out the other KitCat Kittens for their baby-inspired creations!
*Lorie*
*Kelly*
*Michelle*
*Jeanette*

Wishing you a 2011 filled with laughter, joy, lots of crafting, and many blessings!

It's Snowing in the Sisterhood!

2010-12-08T03:00:00.002-05:00

(click image to enlarge)

Snow, snow, and oh yeah, snow, was pretty much the theme issued by Debbie (SCS=Meredithangelmom), our hostess for November over in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Cards. I knew right away that I would use the super-cute "Love You This Much" set from Sweet 'n Sassy, which was a gift from a dear stampin' friend (thanks, sweetie!).

I tossed around several color combos before choosing the ever-popular red, light blue, and white. It always looks so good for snow people, don't you think?! No fancy layout, so I just jazzed things up with some fun pompom trim and glittered accents. Here's a close-up so you can see the sparkle and the shimmery background DP, although the color in the photo is a little off.

(click image to enlarge)

Technically, we're supposed to make standard-size cards, but the scalloped panel looked *so* much better on a 5-1/4" square, so I included square envies for the gals as well. I really like the way these turned out, so I made a couple extra for myself!

We've had snow showers in my neck of the woods for several days now. Nothing major, just a few inches here and there, but it's really adding to the holiday mood for me! I'm always hoping we have a white Christmas, and the long-range forecase is looking pretty good for that! YAY!

I'm glad you stopped by for a visit, and I'll hope you'll let me know you were here! Have a wonderful day! Let it snow!

It's A KitCat Christmas!

2010-12-05T11:55:00.000-05:00

It’s another KitCat Sunday and the Kittens are celebrating a heart-felt, homemade Christmas!

Kitten Kelly was our hostess, and she challenged us to create an ornament & gift tin for someone who may not otherwise receive a gift this year. Talk about your warm fuzzies! I think it's a fantastic challenge, and I hope we will inspire YOU to do the same!

Naturally, Kelly’s kit was *bursting* with supplies, including a CD tin and wooden ornament shape along with beautiful papers, ribbons, flowers, glitter glue, bling, and more!

I was immediately drawn to the I Believe! papers from My Mind’s Eye and the glittery red cardstock from DCWV. Even though an image wasn’t a requirement, I just couldn’t resist coloring up the darling image from SU's Greeting Card Kids. I just love the old-school look of these images!

For the tin, I created a paper patchwork, tied the ribbon to hide the seams, and created a cute little winter bouquet with the flowers, cord, snowflake, & glitter brad. The rhinestone star gives a nod to the ornament shape inside.

For the ornament, I sponged the edges with SU Rose Red then painted them with the glitter glue. Then I added a frame cut from the glittery CS and a background from the DP, and made another winter bouquet. I also covered the back with a different DP and added the silver cord hanger.

I had so much fun and such a great feeling in my heart when I was making these, because I knew exactly who would receive them: an elderly widow who calls our office every now and then for advice about this and that. I’m going to send it anonymously and write on the card that a Christmas angel is thinking of her. I hope it warms her heart as much as it does mine!

Sending a warm hug and a big thank-you to Kelly for reminding us to count our blessings, no matter what we may be experiencing, because there are always others who are less fortunate that we.

Be sure to visit the other KitCats to see their wonderful heart-felt, handmade Christmas creations!
Michelle * Lorie * Kelly * Jeanette

Wishing you a wonderful day!

Jesus Is The Reason For The Season!

2010-12-01T09:00:00.004-05:00

Welcome! We are delighted to have you with us as we celebrate the Good News of our Savior's birth! We are a small band of blogging crafters who love God, and in the midst of all the seasonal festivities, we wanted to take some time to focus on the real meaning of Christmas: the birth of Jesus Christ. Of course there's nothing wrong with hustling and bustling about to find the "perfect gifts" for our loved ones. But when you stop to think about it, there will never be a gift more perfect than the gift God gave us in Jesus.

If you started at the beginning, you arrived here from Stacy's blog. But if you just happened to pop in for a random visit (aw, thanks! ), you'll want to go back and start with Heather's blog, because you won't want to miss a thing!

So why am I participating in this hop? Because I believe that Jesus is my savior and my salvation, and without Him, Christmas would be just another day off from work! Don't get me wrong - I love the festive holly and silver bells and reindeer and Santa and cookies and sparkle and lights, but as I've grown up and matured and as I've experienced the power of my faith and that of my priceless friends during the most sorrowful times in life, I can only now fully appreciate and focus on the wonder and joy that Christ brings to Christmas. So I am thrilled and honored to be a part of this glorious chorus that is shouting, Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born!

So about my card for the hop! I tried to keep things simple so that the first thing to catch your eye would be the Nativity. I used a very subdued color palette with pops of gold to emphasize the sentiment and Nativity scene, both of which are from the "O Holy Night" set by Inkadinkado. And I'm happy to say that the only element I purchased for this was that stamp set. Everything else, and I mean *everything*, came from my stash! Hope you enjoyed my card!

Your next stop and the end of the hop is Catherine's blog!

The hop will remain open through 11:59 EDT on Friday, December 3. And, what is a hop without prizes! We are very appreciative to the following sponsors who have generously donated prizes for us:
•Fresh Brewed Designs: 4 Christmas/Faith digital images plus 2 of winner's choice
•Simply Betty Stamps: Jude & His Shenanigans Crew Christmas Collection (6 digital images)
•The Stamping Boutique: 2 Faith digital images plus 4 images of winner's choice

THREE winners will be chosen (one for each prize) from comments selected from random blogs!

AND, we'd like to invite you to join us in celebrating this season of hope! So if you have a new project of faith to share with us, there will be an InLinkz at the bottom of Catherine's post that will be open for a week, so get crafting! :) As a thanks for participating, Catherine will have a prize up for grabs, too! (This is a separate prize in addition to the Hop Prizes and any personal hop candy that gals are offering!)

In case you missed one, here's the hop order from beginning to end:
Heather
Kadie
Karen
Kelly
Lori
Lorie
Maria
Paola
Sammi
Stacy
Susan - You're Here! :-)
Catherine

Thank you so much for hopping along and remembering that Jesus Is The Reason For The Season!

Have a blessed and happy day!

Susan :-)

On Thanksgiving: It's The Little Things . . .

2010-11-25T09:09:00.000-05:00

On this Thanksgiving Day, many of us will declare our thanks for the big blessings God has given us in our lives.

Obviously, I am thankful for a wonderful, caring family; a warm, dry home; good friends and neighbors; a long-time job that I enjoy; my health; my faith in God and my belief that He knows what He's doing. And I'm thankful for the men and women who are serving our country, whether overseas or here at home.

But I hope we'll also give thanks for all those little blessings that we don't even think twice about every day. For example:

I am thankful for fresh oranges and orange juice. They're sweet, refreshing, good for you, and I can have them any time I want them. But some people on this planet will never, ever, ever taste them, and that makes me kinda sad.

I am thankful for our cats, Duncan and Lila. It will never cease to amaze me that cats are living with us, that they just know how to be fastidiously clean, that they come when we whistle, and that the sound of a Redi-Whip can in action will wake them from a dead sleep!

I am thankful for my senses. To *hear* Lila purring while she's curled up on my lap right now. To *smell* the wonderful aroma of coffee brewing. To *feel* the textures of yarn when I'm crocheting. To *taste* the bittersweetness of dark chocolate. To *see* the glistening sparkle of snow across a field at night.

I am thankful for flannel pajamas. So soft and warm and cozy and comfortable! And yes, I am wearing them right now - pink floral ones!

I could go on and on and on - being able to drive, birds, my own craft room, contact lenses - but I think everyone gets the idea. So whether you're gathering for a big raucous feast or just enjoying a quiet day today, please remember: It's the little things that make life big.

Thanks for stopping by today!

For My Far-Away Friend

2010-11-12T00:30:00.033-05:00

I made this card for my far-away friend and SOTC sister, Tanja. Oh, we've never seen each other in real life, but through fate and the magic of the Internet, we met online over at SCS swapping cards!
This past summer, Tanja and her hubby moved back to Germany with their sweet little boys, and it seemed to be a double-edged sword for her. On one hand, she would miss the life and friends they had made here in the U.S., but on the other hand, moving would mean she would be close to her family again.

So when the sweet Paola was hostess for SOTC in June, she volunteered to ship cards to Tanja from the Sisters to let her know we were thinking about her and that she's never more than a thought away.

So for my card, I chose to feature the sweet Spring Emma from C.C. Designs perched on her Swing. Both stamps were birthday treats from a dear SOTC sister - thanks, sweetie! It's hard to see in the big picture, but I added some laces to her shoes with DMC thread. Here's a close-up.

That cheery patterned paper is from the English Garden collection by Making Memories, which features designs reminiscent of wallpaper from the days of my youth - love it!

I wanted to send along a little something extra, so I crocheted a scarf for Tanja using a gorgeous yarn by Palette. The color is appropriately named Atlantic and is a wonderful combination of dark jade and forest greens touched with blues ranging from deep Prussian to pale porcelain. Unfortunately, the picture doesn't do this yarn justice. And even more unfortunately, you can't feel it, because it is one of the softest yarns I've ever felt! I really hope Tanja feels a virtual hug from me whenever she wears it!

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Twisted Sisters!

2010-11-11T00:05:00.006-05:00

You know, over in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Cards (SOTC), the monthly swap themes are all over the place. Some months they're all butterflies and warm fuzzies, while other months....

Sister Karen was at the wheel in September and, well, when she's driving, you'd better strap in and hold on for the ride! I love her sense of humor, her wit, and her slightly satirical take on life. Thankfully, she kept true to herself with a "twisted sister" kind of theme: Create a card that you would give to a really good friend showing how much they mean to you, but with an unexpected twist. So here's my twisted take on it!

OUTSIDE

INSIDE

GOTCHA!! Ah-ha-ha-ha! As soon as I saw this free image over on the Crafty Secrets blog, I knew I had to use it! I immediately thought, If I had lived back in Victorian times, that would most definitely be me in the throes of a hot flash! But I cannot even begin to imagine (nor do I want to!) wearing all of those layers, in the summer, without running water - or deodorant! YIKES! {{{shudder}}}

I do want to call attention to this gorgeous satin ribbon I used. It is so beautiful in real life, and it came tied around a special gift that The Girl and The Man gave me for my birthday 2 years ago, a beautiful Coach purse. I have the pretty PINK box perched high on a shelf in my craft room, holding all the precious cards I've received from my SOTC gals, and I was keeping the ribbon just because it's so pretty, but I thought it would be *perfect* for this card, so there it is!

OH JOY FOR FOUR-DAY WEEKENDS! My office is closed today in observance of Veteran's Day, so I decided to burn a vacation day tomorrow for a mini-vacay at home. I'm hoping to get lots of (much overdue) housework done and to spend some time getting my fingers inky, too!

Before I leave on this Veterans Day, I want to say a special *THANKS, DADDY* for serving our country during World War II. The median age of World War II veterans in the United States is 86, so if you know any, please take a minute to shake their hand and thank them, before it's too late.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Whimsical KitCats!

2010-11-07T14:59:00.015-05:00

It's the first Sunday of the month, and that means its time for the KitCats creations! Yours truly was the hostess, and for no particular reason, I was in the mood for something with a magical, whimsical, or fantasy theme.

Each kitten received a different assortment of the luscious papers in K&Co.'s Que Sera Sera collection, as well as a 2011 planner and an overabundance of embellies from my stash that had gone unloved for so long. (I hope my "kitchen sink" of embellies didn't overwhelm them - sorry, kittens!) My challenge was for them to surprise even me by offering them a choice to alter the planner or create a card (or both!) using any type of whimsical, magical, or fantasy image they had.

So here you have my altered planner! I "painted" the plain cardboard cover with distress ink, then sponged over that with several SU inks to coordinate with the DP panels. I wanted the planner to stay closed, so I attached a strip of DP long enough to wrap around, then added Velcro to the ends.

The real challenge was coloring and fussy cutting the tiny Summer Fairy image and getting all of the embellies to stay stuck to the image panel! Below are a couple close-ups of the embellies I chose.

While I created this to give as a gift, I really love the way it turned out, so I may need to keep it for myself. Shhhh . . . it will be our little secret!

I'm excited to see what the other kittens chose to create with my kit and what embellies they used, since I only used a fraction of what I included. Click on each kitten to see their whimsical, magical creations:
Jeanette * Kelly * Lorie * Michelle

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Image: The Greeting Farm Summer Fairy digi
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Spun Sugar); SU dye inks (Rose Red, Elegant Eggplant, Pumpkin Pie)
Copics: BV00,E000,E31,E42,R20,$22,R85,RV000,RV00,V01,V12,V15,V17,YR12
Designer Papers: K&Co. Que Sera Sera Collection
Embellishments: Victoria Lynn pearl pick, Plaid faceted teardrop, Blue Moon Beads 'joy' charm, Darice silver cord, Kreinik silver blending filament, SU scallop punch

The KitCats Are Back!

2010-10-03T16:38:00.007-04:00

The KitCats are back for another season! Yippee!

Jeanette was our hostess for September, and she must have felt that we kittens needed to brush up on our ABCs after our summer break, because sent all of us back to school with a super-cute school-themed kit!

She included great Bo Bunny papers, Martha Stewart ribbon, some cute embellies, and Betty and Spencer Bookworms from Stamping Bella. I decided to feature Betty because, well, she could be me in fourth grade with those ponytails and those glasses... only I was chubbier. And *gulp* ... I used a whopping 24 Copic colors on her! Someone stop me, please.

Jeanette also included pages torn from old dictionaries. They give such a nostalgic, old-school (pun intended!) feel to the card. And I love how the three colors on the MS ombre ribbon fade into each other. So pretty!

I had great fun creating this card, and I'll definitely be showcasing Spencer soon. Very soon. ;-)

Be sure to visit the other KitCats to see what they did with Jeanette's kit:
Jeanette
Kelly
Lorie
Michelle

It's my turn to hostess for October. Hmm, wonder what I have up my sleeve?

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

Lighthouse for Dad

2010-09-19T01:00:00.002-04:00

I am nothing more than woefully behind in posting my card creations, and while I'd really like to post them in the order I created them, that's just not going to happen. Soooooo...

This is the card I made for my dad for Father's Day! I created it from yet another card kit; this one is from Lorie. Such a beautiful image to color, and the patterned paper was perfect! (Please, no comments on the number of Copics I used; I'm still learning!)

Lorie included a great bag o' goodies in the kit, but I remembered I had these tarnished brass buttons in a jar given to me by a friend that I've been itching to use. And see this little flower? I crocheted it myself! I used the same crochet cotton to thread and tie the buttons on the card.

So what (and when) will I be posting next? Who knows ... I guess you'll just have to check back to find out. Tee-hee-hee!

Thanks for stopping by to visit. Have a great day!

DETAILS
Image: Light of the World by Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Cardstock: PTI, Stampin Up
Copics: 0,B21,B24,BG10,BG72,BG75,C1,C2,C4,C7,E40,E57,G20,G24,G40,G85,G99,Y11
Accents: cotton crochet thread (DMC)

Cheers To You, Laura!

2010-09-17T19:14:00.014-04:00

A couple weeks ago, The Girl asked me to make a quick card for a friend's little sister, whom they were taking out to celebrate her 21st birthday.

Oh, I'll use Cosmobella! I said.

Whatever, she said. Don't make it over the top, and be sure to make her a redhead, because it's for Laura.

WHAT??? No! Laura can't possibly be 21! Isn't she still the red-haired little pixie who was so petite that she could share the back center seatbelt with Kelsey, the equally petite brown-haired little pixie? Wasn't it just yesterday that I was picking up the girls at the rink and enjoying their chatter and giggles the whole way home? When did they all grow up?

Suddenly I'm feeling a little old. ***sigh***

But that's okay, because any moment, the menopause will cause a synapse to misfire, sending my thoughts off on another tangent, like Where did I put my glasses?

Hmm, where did I put my glasses . . .

Thanks for stopping by to visit. Have a wonderful day!

DETAILS
Image: Cosmobella by Stamping Bella
Sentiment: Lots of Thoughts by Stampin Up
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Cameo Coral
Cardstock: Stampin Up, Georgia Pacific
Patterned Paper: Que Sera Sera by K&Company
Copics: B91,B95,B97,C4,G20,E000,E00,E21,E57,R22,R29,YG03,YR18
Accents: rhinestones (Recollections), ribbon (Michael's), scallop punch (SU)

It's Christmas in August!

2010-08-30T05:00:00.001-04:00

I think all of us over in The Sisterhood knew it was coming; we just weren't sure when. But Sister Carol took care of that mystery when she issued her hostess theme to be Christmas in August! I was excited because Christmas is one of my Top Three holidays, and thinking "cold" was a good distraction from the sweltering heat. (Can you guess my other two favs?)

I knew I wouldn't be using the traditional red-n-green combo, and these papers from My Mind's Eye were just what I had in mind. I finally got around to cling-mounting the stamps I won from Copic Creations, and it was a no-brainer to use Winter Susan by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD.

It was a little nerve wracking trying to color her detailed Nordic-style hat and to add the white dots, but I only ruined two, and I think the white dots made all the difference. I was completely stumped for a layout, and finally decided to wrap the polka-dot panel as a present with some sparkly-edged ribbon, then added a punched sentiment tag. And there you have my Christmas in August card!

Wow, the kiddos are already heading back to school, and that means it's time to start thinking about my cookie baking list. I like to bake lots and lots of cookies, to the protests of The Man who thinks it's too much work:
"Why don't you just buy them?" he says.
"What? I can't buy them!" I gasp. "I'm the only one who inherited the baking gene!"

*sheesh* Silly, silly man! He does have my best interests at heart, as I'm often up until 2 AM baking. But it's worth it, because it reminds me of helping Mum when I was little, and it's really satisfying when someone says they're *almost* as good as hers. Hey, I'm happy with *almost* - hers were cookie nirvana!

This year, I'm going to try making pizzelles. If I start practicing now, I should have the technique perfected by mid-December. Maybe.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful day!

DETAILS
Image: Elisabeth Bell Winter Susan
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Cardstock: Stampin Up, Georgia Pacific
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Bohemia "Bliss" collection
Copics: 0,BG10,BG72,BG78,C2,E000,E00,E35,E40,E57,R29,W3,Y26
Accents: white pen (Sakura), tag punch (SU), ribbon (Michael's)

I {Heart} Card Kits, and Nature!

2010-08-28T05:00:00.002-04:00

Hello bloggers! I've been feeling sorry for my neglected little blog, so I thought I'd pop on with a quick post before heading to my dad's to do a little housekeeping and yardwork. Summer's on the wane, and I want to enjoy the outdoors as much as possible, even if it involves physical work. After all, it won't be long before the weather folks around here start talking about the "S" word. {shuddering at the thought}

My father-in-law's birthday was July 30 and it completely snuck up on me. (Honestly, almost every birthday this year either snuck up on me or passed me by, something I'm not proud to admit.) I found myself with about 30 minutes to create a card but almost zero guy stamps. However, I do have a lot of card kits, so I grabbed the "GUYS" bag where I found this beary cute kit from "Kate".

I chose this kit because I knew the bear would be super-quick to color. I used the papers in the kit, and found this great stitched ribbon & matching brads in my stash. A simple stamped & hand-cut sentiment tied with some floss finished it.

I am positive this is the fastest card I have ever made, thus reaffirming my love for card kits! ;-)

I'm hoping to see lots of my fine feathered friends while I'm working outside today, like this cheery goldfinch who visited the other day. (click on the picture for a close-up.)

Soon, his bright golden feathers will be replaced with mossy brown ones for the fall & winter. But we'll still have bright red cardinals to liven up the landscape!

Isn't nature beautiful!?!

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope you have a great day!

DETAILS
Image: Stampin Up Under the Stars
Cardstock: Stampin Up, Martha Stewart
Copics: E25,E31,E35,E42,E57
Accents: ribbon (In the Loop), brads (Making Memories), floss (DMC)

Well I'll Be . . . It's A KitCat Card!

2010-07-16T01:30:00.010-04:00

Long time, no blog! I'll spare you my mundane explanation of why I haven't been in blogville for so long, but it's really quite a lot of nothing exciting. What is exciting to me is finally posting the latest KitCat card, hosted by none other than Kitten Catherine!

She sent us all some uber-cute images from The Greeting Farm Roll Call set (I used Maria) along with some whimsical patterned paper from My Mind's Eye, an assortment of ribbons, and a vintage-style rhinestone button ... that I'm saving for later. Hope you don't mind, Cat!

As much as I try, sometimes I can't get away from pink, so I just went with it and created yet another girly-girl card that features a scallop-punched edge and a big flower I made by stacking altered and glittered chipboard flowers. I found the cute birdie brad in my stash (thanks Kels!) and think it's a great complement to the birds in the patterned paper.

Be sure to stop by to visit the other KC Kittens to see their creations: Kelly , Jeanette , Lorie , Michelle , and Catherine. The Kittens will be on hiatus enjoying the rest of the summer, but watch for their return this fall!

And I'm in the process of updating the look of my blog, just because I'm tired of it, so please be patient. Who know's what you'll see before I end up with something I like. And hopefully, I won't destroy the whole thing in the process. LOL!

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a wonderful day!

DETAILS:
Image: The Greeting Farm: Maria from "Roll Call"
Cardstock: SU, PTI
Ink: Memento black, SU Craft White
Copics: 0,B21,E00,E000,E47,E57,G24,R20,R22,YG03,YR00
Other: chipboard flowers, ribbon, silver flat-backs, birdie brad, Fiskars punch

Shiver Me Timbers! It's Me Kit-Cat Caaaaaard!

2010-05-23T08:43:00.015-04:00

Ahoy mateys! Long time no blog - almost a month! Yet my blog is still here, patiently waiting for me to be back in my crafty groove again . . .

I was feeling quite overwhelmed in the crafty department. I did it to myself with grandiose ideas of making all sorts of things for all sorts of people - crocheted market bags, earrings, necklaces, afghans, card purses. Plus I made a promise to myself that I would participate in every challenge issued by my stamping sisters' DTs each week. REALLY? But each project I didn't complete and each challenge that flew by just sapped more and more of my mojo to the point where I just didn't want to do anything. So I decided to disconnect myself from the crafty world for a bit - you know, follow the whole absence makes the heart grow fonder idea. Personally, I think that's bunk in the love & romance category, but it did work for my crafty mojo! And what better way to get back in the groove than with a Kit-Cat card!

It seemed all the Kittens were feeling a little overwhelmed this month, so we meeew-tually agreed to push back the posting until May 16, and some of us made that posting date, and the rest of us, well, uh . . . Here's my card!

Michelle was our May hostess and she sent all the kittens a kit full of yummy papers, wonderful embellies, and an assortment of adorable images from High Hopes! I decided to feature On Guard Oberto who is, well, guarding the awesome treasure map image that I distressed by misting with water, crinkling, then sponging with Tim Holtz inks. I love how the edges look singed!

Next, it was time for embellies. AAARGH!! Where is me bag of embellies??? After days of searching and realizing that they could be misplaced *anywhere* because I have been moving and shuffling things in my craft room (again!), I decided to move forward and use some things from my stash. So I used some brown eyelets and threaded them with twine, then colored up the anchor and lantern images and added them for a little interest. I will find those embellies!

All in all, I like the way it turned out. This was a totally fun card to make, and I'll be sending it to my nephew for his birthday. If you haven't already, be sure to visit the other Kittens to see their creations for May: Michelle, Lorie, Catherine, Jeanette, and Kelly.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a stamptastic day!

DETAILS
Images: High Hopes "On Guard Oberto" "Treasure Map" "Lantern" "Anchor"
Cardstock: Stampin Up!, Martha Stewart
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey "Ambrosia"
Copics: C2,C4,C7,W3,E000,Eoo,E47,E57,R22,R29,Y11,Y21,Y26,YR18,YR23
Embellies: Eyelets, twine, button

Beach Baby: Sweet Sketch Wednesday!

2010-04-28T11:41:00.009-04:00

Beach Baby, Beach Baby,
There on the sand,
From July to the end of September -er -er . . .

Ahhh, there's nothing like some Beach Boys tunes to get me in the mood for summer! I can almost smell the tropical coconut sunscreen on the salty sea air. Oh how I wish I could just be a beach baby, lounging on the sand all summer long . . . {snaps back to reality} . . .

But I can't, so in honor of the Busy Beauties Boutique sponsoring this week’s challenge over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday, I created a beach baby card using this week's fun sketch by SSW DT member Arlana!

I just *love* the pose of the Beach Blanket Beauty digi from Busy Beauties and the fact that she is womanly and not rail thin (probably because *I’m* womanly and not rail thin!). I thought the sweet prints and colors of this Making Memories paper were cute departures from the watery blues I had planned to use. I added some sparkle to her wrap and earring with a clear Sakura pen, then popped on a few Primas, strips of ribbon, and some blingety-bling to finish it off.

I think you’ll have fun creating with this sketch and hope you’ll play along in the challenge. Of course, we’d love for you to feature a Busy Beauties image, but you may use any image your little heart desires.

And, you still have plenty of time to enter the Go Green with a Twist Challenge over at the Busy Beauties Creation Station. In honor of Earth Day, we're challenging everyone to create something “green” featuring elements that might otherwise end up in the trash: used gift wrap, orphaned earrings, candy wrappers ... you get the idea. You'll want to get crafty and upload your creation before 11:59 PM on May 5, because up for grabs is a $15 gift voucher for Busy Beauties Boutique!

I can't believe we're saying good-bye to another month already! I’ve had a lot of fun as the Busy Beauties Boutique April Guest Designer and hope you’ve enjoyed my BBB creations. {Big thanks} and {many hugs} to Carolyn and her Bevy of Beauties for making me feel so welcomed and at home! Ooooo, I can’t wait to find out who the Guest Designer for May is . . . hmm, maybe it’s you!

Thanks for stopping by and have a stamptacular day!

DETAILS:
Image: Busy Beauties Boutique “Beach Blanket Beauty”
Ink: Momento
Cardstock: Stampin Up!
Patterned Paper: Making Memories “Emma”
Copics: 0,B21,C4,E00,E000,E321,G40,R22,RV000,V17,Y11,Y21,Y26
Embellies: Primas, Kaiser rhinestones, SU Hodgepodge Hardware & rhinestone brads, assorted ribbon scraps, Sakura Stardust and White pens.

Busy Beauties: Welcoming Spring with a Twist & Shout

2010-04-22T06:37:00.010-04:00

We’ve got a “SPRING” in our step today and NEW Busy Beauties Boutique images in our hands, and we're delighted to have you along for the hop! I'm the second stop along the way, so if you are just starting out here, please be sure to hop back to Carolyn’s blog so you don’t miss any of the fun!

We hope you’ll join us for a TWIST & a SHOUT! The “TWIST” being our new GO GREEN WITH A TWIST Challenge (in honor of Earth Day) at the Busy Beauties Creation Station! And the “SHOUT” being a RELEASE PARTY over on Paper Craft Planet this SATURDAY AT 8 P.M. EDT. We'll bring the Party Favors! *wink, wink*

But for now, on to the hop!

There are so many adorable and fun images with this release, and it was really hard to decide which one to use. But I always kept going back to this sweet image called Friendly Hello, because this sweet couple reminds me of the Eastern bluebirds that visit our yard every year. They are always in pairs - Mr. & Mrs Bluebird - and usually Mr. is on lookout as Mrs. grazes on some tasty treat.

I really wanted the super-cute image to take center stage, so I made the card pretty simple. I chose the patterned papers for their soft spring colors, and just added some ribbon and a glittered chipboard flower. And there ya go!

Your next hop stop is Annita's blog and I just *know* she has something special waiting for you! Thanks for bopping & hopping with us, and we hope to see you for the TWIST and SHOUT!
Hope you have a stamptacular day!

DETAILS
Image: Busy Beauties Boutique "Friendly Hello"
Sentiment: Stampin Up! "Lots of Thoughts"
Cardstock and Designer Paper: Stampin Up!
Copics: B21,C1,C7,E00,E000,E11,E25,G40,R20,R22,RV000,Y11,Y21,Y23,Y26
Embellies: Petaloo glittered chipboard flower, rhinestone, ribbon

Chester Says "Meow!"

2010-04-15T23:50:00.010-04:00

Once again I find myself wondering, where are the days going? I can't believe April is half over! I have a super-quick post today as I seem to be running around late, late, late! Hmm, perhaps I should have featured a card with White Rabbit? Oh well, I guess I'd rather be busy than bored!

My card today features another Alice-inspired image from Busy Beauties Boutique called Chester Cheshire.

There's really not too much going on with this card other than some layers of Granola paper from BasicGrey in nature-inspired blues, browns, and creams (thanks Mary!) and a little sparkle.

I painted the chipboard flourish with acrylic paint called Nutmeg, and while it was wet, I sprinkled on some Brownstone glitter from Martha Stewart. A layered flower and some blue rhinestone bling finish it off. Meow!

And just a reminder that there’s still time to play the Alice Challenge at the Busy Beauties Creation Station blog. You have until April 21 to enter, then get ready for our new challenge and blog hop on April 22! You'll find lots of inspiration from the DT, and there will be prizes, of course!

Thanks for stopping by and have a stamptacular day!

DETAILS
Image: Busy Beauties Boutique "Chester Cheshire"
Sentiment: Stampin Up "Cool Cat"
Cardstock: Stampin Up, Michael's
Paper: BasicGrey "Granola"
Copics: B91,B95,B97,E25,E31,E35,R20,W3,Y13,YG03,YR18,YR23
Embellies: Kaiser rhinestones, MS glitter, Plaid acrylic paint, chipboard flourish, Primas, other flowers, brad

ALL ABOARD (woo! wooooo!) for a New Busy Beauties Adventure!

2010-04-10T08:50:00.010-04:00

WELCOME! Today is a very BIG day for Busy Beauties, and I am beyond excited to be along for the ride as the Busy Beauties April Guest Designer! Yippee!! We hope you’ll join us on a fabulous journey as we travel through Wonderland with fabulous new ALICE INSPIRED IMAGES at the Busy Beauties Boutique! Our final destination is our BRAND NEW BLOG: The Busy Beauties Creation Station!!!!! The adventure begins at Catherine’s blog, so if you didn't start there, be sure to go back to see her amazing creation!

When I saw the new Alice-inspired images, I just knew I would use The Mad Scrapper ... in honor of Carolyn, of course! Oh my gosh, don't you just love her hat full of crafty stuff? I cut out a separate set of "tools", colored them, made a slit in the hat, and tucked them in so they appear as if they really are in her hat. I also cut out the hat trim and the little bows on her dress. (sorry for the blurry close-up. I had to use DD's camera.) The paper is from the BasicGrey Origins pack that I won last month for the BBB Green Challenge. It's so outside my normal color range but I love it! I jazzed up her corset & bow with some tiny amber rhinestones, and mirrored those with some big honkin' rhinestones in the corners. And that gorgeous sheer gold-edged ribbon was salvaged from a gift bag - yay for recycling!

As always, we have HOP PRIZES! There will be 3 winners chosen from the comments left on certain DT blogs, but it's a secret which blogs we'll draw from! The prize for these winners is their choice of 1 Free BBB Image! So be sure to leave some love all along the way! Blog Hop Winners will be announced Sunday night on the Creation Station blog. And there is a prize package for the randomly selected winner of our Inaugural Challenge, so be sure to check that out at the end of the hop!

Your next stop is Rachel's blog! Enjoy the ride, and when you finally arrive at the Creation Station, you’ll see our Inaugural Challenge is posted and waiting for you!

Thanks for "hopping" by!

DETAILS
Image: Busy Beauties Boutique "The Mad Scrapper"
Cardstock: Stampin Up
Paper: BasicGrey "Origins"
Copics: B97,C2,C4,E00,E000,E47,G40,G99,R20,R22,Y21,YG03,YR18,YR23
Embellies: Flat-back rhinestones, ribbon

Happy Easter! Kit Cat Sunday

2010-04-04T21:04:00.008-04:00

Happy Easter! I hope you all have had a joyous Sunday reflecting on the many blessings God gives us every day! And right on schedule, it also happens to be a Kit Cat Sunday!

The warm-hearted Lorie was our hostess this month, and she sent the most wonderful kit filled with springtime colors and embellishments and super sweet Easter Basket Bunny from Peachy Keen Stamps. And she didn't just send the images, but the stamp as well! Doesn't he just have the cutest face?

My layout was based on this week's FFF sketch over at The Greeting Farm. (I know - a PK image with a TGF sketch? I'm sure some purists are shuddering. LOL!) Those who know Lorie know she loves her bling, and she didn't disappoint by including some *fabulous* green glittery cardstock! Oooo, I would love to have a pair of strappy summer sandals just like it!

She also sent iridescent rhinestones, which will see some love very soon, but for some reason the buttons called out to me, so I tied them with the ribbon and the embroidery floss in the kit. A quick Nestie tag with a computer generated sentiment, and there ya have it!

Be sure to stop over at the other Kittens' blogs - Catherine, Lorie, Jeanette, Kelly, & Michelle - to see their super-sweet creations with Lorie's kit!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a stamptacular day!

DETAILS
Image: Peachy Keen Stamps "Easter Basket Bunny"
Cardstock: Stampin Up (pretty in pink); Craft n Craftin' (green glitter)
Paper: Imaginesce "Baby Powder Collection"
Copics: 0,B21,E31,G40,R20,RV000,V12,Y11
Embellies: Buttons Galore buttons, embroidery floss, Nestabilities

Vintage 50s Sweethearts

2010-03-28T10:17:00.015-04:00

Happy Sunday everyone!

I'm so excited because I'm on a team for The Greeting Farm's TGF Royal Battle! Our team, The Soul Sistahs, is made up of me & my SOTC sistahs Judy, Tanja, and Lorie, whose gorgeous card we entered for the Week 1 Retro Challenge! Be sure to stop over and vote for your *favorite three* - but good luck, because they are all amazing!

This challenge is kinda like TGF's version of Survivor, without all the evil scheming. ha-ha! There are 63 teams (wow!) and the top half with the most votes will move on to play in Week 2, then Week 3, etc. until there's only one team standing. The winning team members take home the amazing new WS Roll Call set, a release date for which isn't even known! Cool!

Inspired by this week's challenge, I created this card featuring the 50's Sweethearts digi from TGF. My colors stray some from the challenge inspiration piece (and the lighting today is terrible) and are more vintage than retro, but I just couldn't resist using K&Co.'s Bailey papers because they remind me so much of the vintage patterns from that era. I definitely was born several decades too late!

Here's a close-up of Anya's bow that I layered and finished with, what else, a pearl. That's a no-brainer if you know me!

You can also see some of the pretty ribbon I found at The Dollar Tree a few weeks ago. I *did* go back for more, but it was all gone, so I kicked myself all the way out the door.

And this cute little heart button was a sweet surprise gift from Carolyn that arrived just in time to feature as the perfect flower center for this card! I think this will be a sweet engagement card, or anniversary card if I can ever remember people's wedding anniversaries. *sigh*

WHOOOOOSH! That's the sound of March zooming by and Easter rushing to greet us, which means we're that much closer to the warmth and sunshine of summer! But let's not wish away spring and all its glories, like tulips and dogwood blossoms and bright blue skies!

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you have a stamptacular day!

DETAILS
Image: The Greeting Farm "50s Sweethearts" digi
Cardstock: Stampin Up
Paper: K&Company "Bailey"
Copics: B21,B24,C4,C7,C9,E00,E000,E11,E29,E31,E47,G40,R24,R29,RV000,Y21,Y23
Embellies: Primas, ribbon, flatback pearl, button, DMC floss

TGF #11, Copic Creations, and Blog Candy Winner!

2010-03-22T01:00:00.003-04:00

Here we are at the start of a new week and the start of another new Spring season, so to celebrate, I thought I'd whip up a *new* card based on Sketch #11 of the TGF 12 Days of Sketches! (Yes, someday, I'll post my original winter creation for Sketch #11, but for now, I've had enough of winter, thank you very much.)

I really love this layout with the 3 panels, and I ended up slicing & separating a floral feature from the corner of one of the *gorgeous* papers in K&Co.'s Sweet Life stack. Such a great combination of vibrant and soft springy colors! The patterned scallop behind the super-sweet Fairy Chloe is from K&Co.'s Wild Raspberry stack. (no, I'm not ashamed to say I adore K&Co. paper stacks.)

I think that *just maybe* I am getting the hang of blending my Copics to give a little depth and light illusion to hair. I've got a loooong way to go, but I've learned a lot from my stampin' sistahs and my own experimenting and from visiting the amazing tutorials on Copic Creations. I'm even taking the plunge and entering this in their One-Year Blogaversary Challenge because the feather blending technique helped me "see the light" so to speak. LOL! Hey, what have I got to lose?

A first for me on this card is that big chipboard flourish (thanks, Tanja!). For some strange reason, I've been intimated by chipboard, but I grabbed the ModgePodge, a sanding block, & ink pad, and showed it who's boss. And I liked it! Look out chipboard - I fear you no more! The ribbon is just a scrap I kept because I liked the color, and I added the layered Primas for a little finishing touch.

We have been blessed with absolutely beautiful weather for the last week, and now some rain is moving in - but it's better than snow! Our Eastern bluebirds have returned, the goldfinches are turning from their mossy brown of winter to their vibrant golden yellow, and the crocus and daffodils are exploding onto the scene, so no matter what Mother Nature throws at us, I know it's not going to last and soon I'll smell the sweet scent of fresh-cut grass and sweet honeysuckle on the breeze!

But enough blathering - you're all waiting for my Spring-A-Licious Blog Candy Winner! Well, I used the very scientific process of having The Girl pick a number between 1 and 60, and she chose #23 in honor of Shakespeare's birthday (April 23). Congratulations terriavidreader! You've won the candy! Terri, I will email you for your mailing address and get that out to you this week! Thanks to all of you who entered and who passed along the word to others!

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a stamptacular day!

DETAILS
Image: The Greeting Farm "Fairy Chloe"
Ink: Stampin Up
Cardstock: Stampin Up, Martha Stewart
Paper: K&Company
Copics: E00,E000,E31,G40,RV000,Y11,Y21
Embellies: Primas; ribbon, brad, glitter from my stash

The Big Dog's Birthday Card!

2010-03-19T17:46:00.010-04:00

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring - YAY! - and it's also my dad's 83rd birthday! (He's shooting for 100!) I was thinking of doing a spring theme for his birthday card until I found this cute canine image while rooting through my Box O' Card Kits. I thought it would be perfect because, after all, Daddy IS the "big dog" in the family! LOL!

The layout is inspired by SCS Card Sketch #242. I sponged the edges of the patterned paper (thanks Mary!) with walnut distress ink, and used a Nestie tag for the computer sentiment that I sponged with blue. A fun ribbon brad (thanks Roxane!), plaid ribbon, flowers, and basic brads finished the card. Inside I'll write, To the Big Dog of the Family . . . Happy Birthday! I think he'll get a kick out of it!

I also wanted to share a picture I snapped of one of the construction contractors working outside our office building. It struck me as funny because I imagined he could be thinking, Oh no - that's the second cell phone this month! The wife is gonna kill me! Ha-ha!

ANYWHO, thanks for stopping by today! And remember, you have until tomorrow at midnight to enter for a chance at my Spring-A-Licious blog candy! Have a stamptacular evening!

DETAILS
Image: Unknown
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Walnut Stain, Stampin Up Bashful Blue
Cardstock: Stampin Up; Martha Stewart
Paper: Basic Grey "Granola"
Copics: B21,B97, C1,C2,E31,E35,E57
Embellies: Bazzill button brad, Darice flowers, Basic Grey ribbon, Recollections brads

Feelin' Lucky? Busy Beauties Go Green Challenge

2010-03-17T06:36:00.005-04:00

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! Are ya feelin' lucky?

Everybody's Irish on St. Patty's Day, including this Bubbly Beauty featured on my card for the Busy Beauties Boutique Go Green Challenge! You have until midnight tonight to link up your card, so why not play along?

I actually designed this to give to my hubby on our anniversary in May, so my real challenge will be to remember where I hid it when the day comes! LOL! Speaking of hiding, I wanted to hide the Bubbly Beauty in a teasing sort of way, so I used the criss-cross fold and added a piece of scallop-punched vellum to the inside of one of the folded panels. Click on the close-up and I you can see the silhouette of the image behind the vellum. Slightly sexy, yes?

I was happy to see that the cute paper from Kaisercraft I bought for the large owl image featured faint scattered hearts and shamrocks in the background and tiny hearts on the flip side. Sweet! The sentiment is freehand on gold vellum and attached to a glittered-up scalloped Nestie, and I added some gold rhinestone bling to the top of the inside scallop for contrast.

To hold the card closed, I altered a small chipboard buckle and threaded some soft gold satin ribbon through it, and there ya go!

Thanks for visiting! Here's to a totally lucky stamptacular day!

Angel Anya & Susie Surprise - Two More TGFs For Ya!

2010-03-13T06:38:00.009-05:00

Here we go - two more cards from the 2009 TGF 12 Days of Sketches challenge, and only two more left to post! Do ya think I'll get them posted before the end of THIS month? I can only hope, but please don't bet the house on it.

Okay, first up is my card for Sketch #9 by Jessica Diedrich that features the sweet Angel Anya in soft lavender accented with my uber-favorite embellies -- pearls! Yeah, I know - she's off-center from the sketch, but that's just where she ended up...LOL! I was SO tempted to cut out the center of her halo, but that little voice said, "Susan, leave well enough alone!" So instead, I shimmered it up with some PearlEx. I wanted something up in the corner, but not a flower, so I settled on a little Nestie flourish jazzed up with some more pearls & a petite butterfly sticker. Although now I'm thinking I should have added something more.

Next up is my card for Sketch #10 by, um, I don't know, because there's no name listed - Jessica again maybe? Anywho, it's a great sketch and I featured Susie Surprise all ready to party in pink! I used the argyle EF to match her skirt, and the ribbon that DD bought for me on a whim was a great complement! Originally, I had a single smaller flower, but it looked sad and lonely, so I added more luscious layers - now it's happy! The cute dimensional brads in the flower center & on the Nestie label were a gift from my stampin Sistah Judy - thanks, hun!

So, is it just me, or does anyone else actually forget they have Nesties? I KNOW! What is wrong with me? I keep forgetting that I have those flourish AND those tag Nesties! I really think tonight's task will be to get them organized on the magnet sheets and in the binder I bought a month ago just for that purpose!

But first, I'm going to my friend Susan's SU workshop this afternoon followed by my friend Leanne's Tastefully Simple soiree! WOO-HOO! A day filled with stampin fun and food that I don't have to cook? *Pure joy, I tell ya!*

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Hmm, I wonder if my Spring-A-Licious Blog Candy grew at all? *wink, wink* Hope you have a stamptacular day!

My Ever-Growing Spring-A Licious Blog Candy!

2010-03-08T01:00:00.006-05:00

**THIS CANDY IS NOW CLOSED.**

Check back on Monday, March 22, for the winner!

It's been a long, cold, SNOWY winter and I am *SO* ready for Spring - warm sun, longer days, colorful flowers, singing birds, blue skies ... aaahhhhh!

We all know that March 20 is the first day of Spring, but it's also my Daddy's birthday, so in honor of both, I'm giving away some Ever-Growing Spring-A-Licious Blog Candy! It's "Ever-Growing" because until March 20, I'll be adding more candy every now & then to the take!!! Now, I'm feeling a little mischievous, so I will just update my sidebar photo and the list on this post when I add something new rather than make a new post - tee-hee-hee!

What's up for grabs:
1 8x8 yummy paper pad called Destination Paradise by Me & My Big Ideas
6 rolls of American Crafts springy ribbon
17 pc. Sandylion "Girl" clear stamp set with lots of CUTE springy images!
1 pack of K&Company Wild Saffron rubons (whoopsie, omitted the first time!)
2 packs of Recollections rhinestone swirls
1 pack of Darice self-stick assorted spring bling
1 pack of Fiskars ZingZ accents
2 packs of White Blossom assorted spring rub-ons
1 pack of Making Memories spring velvet brads
1 Mary Englebright flower chipboard book
1 pack of Recollections pastel flat-back pearls
1 pack of Darice 75-pc. spring chipboard shapes
1 10x13 wooden tray to alter!
More will be added every few days over the next couple weeks!

TO ENTER, all I ask is that you spread the word by adding my candy pic to your sidebar linking back to this post and by leaving a comment on this post with your favorite spring thing. I would be honored if you also choose to become a follower of my blog, but that's totally up to you! And if you don't have a blog, you call still enter by commenting and spreading the word to your crafty friends via email, card making threads, etc. Entries will be open until midnight on March 20, and the winner will be posted on Tuesday, March 22.

So leave a comment with your favorite spring thing (mine is the arrival of the glorious Eastern Blue Birds from their winter vacations!) , spread the word about my Ever-Growing Spring-A-Licious Blog Candy, and be sure to check back to see what other goodies I'll be adding to the take!

YAY FOR SPRING! Good luck!

KitCat Today - Blog Candy Tomorrow!

2010-03-07T12:59:00.013-05:00

(My Ever-Growing Spring-A-Licious Blog Candy post is ready, but I can't get it to stay at the top of my blog - GRRRR! So I'll have to post it tomorrow.)

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this month's KitCat kit from the purrrrrfectly sweet Kelly! She was so excited for us to get our kits, and when I opened mine, I completely understood. It literally took my breath away!

Rather than a card, I decided to alter a little 6x6 binder to keep all for myself! Sure, we have the requisite general address & phone directory of relatives, neighbors, doctors, trash collectors, and the like. But this one is special, it's my little "Sistahs Keepah" and will hold all of my Stampin & IRL Sistahs information right at my fingertips. I covered it with the gold tissue paper that Kelly used to wrap our kits (which I though was "special" paper too and thought I ruined LOL!) and I think it turned out to be a great complement to the papers, IMHO anyway!

It was a real joy to color this beautiful goldfish pond image, from the Kodomo Zigen Collection. I had never heard of these, but upon visiting the website, I was presented with the most amazing Japanese stamp art images I'd ever seen. I don't know how Kelly decided on just one! I did attempt to watercolor the pond on another image, but with disastrous results. (Lorie, how about a lesson?)

Kelly also included several sheets of absolutely breathtaking Yuzen Washi papers from Japan, and she explains the laborious process of making them on her KitCat post. Their beauty is evident when you see them, but it's when you touch them that you fully appreciate their uniqueness. I honestly had a hard time making the first cut!

Also included was a big box of gorgeous Bella Fleur Primas to coordinate with our papers as well as this adorable little Japanese "good luck" charm.

Kels also sent along a piece of Mizuhiki paper cord, but I'm saving that for another project to use with another one of the papers.

I'm really pleased with my special little "Sistahs Keepah" and I sure hope Kelly feels that I did her special, from-the-heart kit justice. I say that because when reading her "term paper" explaining the kits, you could feel the joy that she felt in sharing these amazing elements with us. Needless to say, I will be very selective (dare I say selfish?) with my remaining papers!

Each Kitten received a different kit, so be sure to visit them to see what gorgeous elements were in their kits and how they worked their creative magic with them! I'm headed there right now!
Kelly
Jeanette
Catherine
Lorie
Michelle

Thanks for visiting and be sure to stop back tomorrow for the Ever-Growing Spring-A-Licious Blog Candy post! Have a stamptastic day!

February SOTC & Spring-A-Licious Blog Candy

2010-03-05T10:19:00.011-05:00

The sweet and talented Tanja was February's hostess over in Da Sistahhood, and she challenged us to make cards using two of her favorite things - flowers & buttons. (Two of my favs as well, although my button supply is very lean.)

I love the nostalgic feel of the images in this set - so versatile and very fun to color. After coloring it with Copics, I "vintaged" the image by sponging over it with Creamy Caramel, then distressed & inked the edges as well. OMGOSH! I think this K&Company paper pack is absolutely TDF! It's like flipping through a vintage wallpaper book! I'm even going to frame some for art for my still-bare craft room walls.

Here's a close-up of the flower/button detail for Tanja! Oh, do you like that ribbon? I found it at the Dollar Tree and bought 7 different spools because they're the perfect scale for cards. (Hmm, I wonder if they have any left.) So there you have it! Hope Tanja and Da Sistahs like them!

SHEESH! I'm still having a hard time believing that it's March already! It appears that I lost a few weeks somewhere along the way, but that's okay, because it means that the first day of spring is *that* much closer! March 20 is the first day of spring AND also Daddy's birthday, so in honor of both, I'll be putting up my Spring-A-Licious Blog Candy details this Sunday when I post my KitCat Card. I hope you'll stop back for both!

Thanks for visiting! I hope you have a stamp-tacular day!

DETAILS
Image: Stampin Up "Country Morning"
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; SU Creamy Caramel
Cardstock: Stampin Up; other kraft
Patterned Paper: K&Company "Classic K Bailey"
Copics: 0,B91,E00,E11,E31,G40,G85,R22,R24,V12,Y21,YR23
Embellies: Darice flowers, Spellbinders Nesties, SU ticket corner punch, buttons, ribbon

When You Least Expect It...

2010-02-18T00:00:00.007-05:00

You probably thought that I gave up on posting the rest of my TGF Sketch Challenge cards, didn't you! Gotcha! And I'm not giving you one - I'm giving you two!

Here's my creation for Sketch #7 by the uber-creative Jessica Diedrich!

The Rock The Farm Ian image, fishing PP, and that great little "gone fishing" brad were in a kit I received when I hosted a card kit swap last year. (In case I haven't told you a dozen times before, I adore card kit swaps. And image swaps. And paper. And ribbon. But I digress. Happens often.) Oh, I was so happy I didn't sever the fishing line as I was cutting out the image; I would have cried! I found the "net" printed paper that's behind Ian in my stash, and the yummy ribbon and large brads were gifts from my STC sistah Roxane. I couldn't help but whistle and hum the theme song from Mayberry RFD as I was coloring and assembling this card. (Geez, you're probably humming it now! Sorry.)
Copics: 0,C2,C4,E00,E000,E25,E29,E31,E35,G40,G99,Y23,YR18

And here's my take on Sketch #8, another rockin' design by Jessica!

My wonderful STC sistah Michelle gifted me with some amazing card kits, and I was thrilled to see the Up, Up, & Away image & sentiment featured in one of them! Oh, don't you just love the colors and designs of those patterned papers? All I added were some Nesties ovals, a few teal Primas I dusted with PearlEx, and a couple punched birds. (Yep, I was humming Up, Up, & Away as I made this card as well. Uh-oh, now you're probably humming that one! Well, at least I got your mind off Mayberry RFD. Ooo, until that. My bad.)
Copics: 0,B21,E31,G40,Y11,Y13,Y21

{Hmm, mayhaps it's about time that I host another card kit swap . . . or maybe a Guys & Dolls *Image* Swap! Ooo, sah-weet!}

I am so glad I got over my fear of Copics because I just *love, love, love* using them! (There are oh-so-many colors I still need. Yes, need!) I've got so much to learn about highlighting and blending and such, and I'll never be a "Copics Artist", but that doesn't matter. I just enjoy the way coloring relaxes me and helps me to disconnect from things for a while. Nothing gets me out of a mojo funk (tee-hee-hee!) like showing my Copics some image-coloring love!

OH, one more thing before I go: I want to give a shout-out to my STC sistahs Catherine and Mary who are proud members of the Twisted Thirteen DT at the new Oh Alice! Curious Little Challenge Blog! WOO-HOO! Congrats girlies! Love ya! The very first challenge will be posted this Saturday, so be sure to hop over to play along! I know I will!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by for a visit today! And remember: when you least expect it...

Kellie's Spring Blog Candy

2010-02-17T01:33:00.007-05:00

Oh My Stars!

While blurfing, I stumbled on some incredible blog candy from Kellie Winnell! The candy is sponsored by All That Scraps and is the whole C.C. Designs Sugar Plums Spring Kit: 9 Sugar Plum kids, 2 accessory stamps, and one set of Spring Sentiments!

How sweet is that!

Run over to Kellie's blog if you want to play because you only have until February 18! While you're there, be sure to spend some time enjoying Kellie's beautiful creations!

LOVE ME DO! Stamping Bella Blog Hop

2010-02-13T09:55:00.015-05:00

Welcome to the LOVE ME DO Blog Hop sponsored by Stamping Bella! I'm so excited because this is my first time being a Blog Hop Stop AND it's with my favorite girl, Bella! If you didn't follow the hop to my place from Michele's blog, you'll want to hop back to Jamie's blog to enjoy all the Bella-riffic creations right from the start! What a great way to spend a snowy Saturday, hopping with Bella!

One of The Girl's best friends is getting married next year, and The Girl is a bridesmaid, so it was a no-brainer to feature Sposabella in that role! I love the soft, spring colors of the papers, and I threw in a piece of dotted Swiss vellum for good measure. A few Primas and pearls finished my Joy fold card! Hope you likey! (You'll find instructions for the card fold HERE in the SCS Resources. Super easy!)

How about a prize? In addition to the fabulous eye candy, we have decided to hide a prize somewhere along the hop! One pre-selected blogger will draw a random winner from the comments on her post, and the winner will receive a $25 Gift Voucher to Stamping Bella!!! The fun part is...we're not telling you who it is! So as you hop, make sure you leave comments on every post so you have a chance to win!! We will announce the winner on Friday in the Splitcoast forum.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Now it's time to hop on over to Debi's blog!

Have fun! {{{MWAH!}}}

DETAILS
Image: Stamping Bella "Sposabella"
Ink: Memento
Cardstock: SU
Patterned Paper: K&Company, The Paper Copmany vellum, other floral
Copics: 0,E31,E000,G40,G99,R20,R22,Y23
Other: Primas, pearls, Nesties

Cruisin' On a Snowy Afternoon! A KitCat Challenge

2010-02-12T12:13:00.012-05:00

FINALLY – It’s my January KitCat Challenge Card! I *never dreamed* I would be this late in posting, especially since I was the hostess! Those reasons later; on to the card!

I was *really* tired of winter, so it was a no-brainer to feature Bella cruising in her Vette! I threw in some summery papers and fun Bella-like embellies for the rest of the kits, and only asked that the Kittens choose a card fold that they either hadn’t yet tried or that was their favorite.

I chose to make an Easel Fold card and I love this fold!! I know I’ll use it for a picture frame card, a calendar card, all sorts of fun cards!

And just wait until you see the GORGEOUS creations by Michelle, Catherine, Lorie, Kelly, and Jeanette!

Okay, there are 2 reasons I’m late in posting:

REASON #1. Little did I know that Mother Nature was about to slam us with one of the worst storms the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic states had ever seen: Snowmageddon 2010!
Here’s our patio area around 6 PM Friday:

And 12 hours later around 6 AM Saturday, with 20 *more* inches of snow than they had predicted for us.

Not only did we get close to 40 inches of snow between the 5th and the 10th, we also lost power for almost 36 hours. Not fun, especially since we have well water. So laundry and dishes and general housecleaning piled up for almost 2 days. Fortunately, The Man has a 4WD & The Girl has an AWD, we have 2 gas fireplaces, and snow is nature’s freezer, so we could make runs for coffee and food, we were warm, and we didn’t lose any food except the containers of leftovers that no one was going to eat anyway.
Here’s our fridge, from left to right: Meats, Deli, Dairy! LOL!!!

REASON #2. I strongly disliked my original card, so because of one of my personality traits, I totally redid my card. (I know; I probably need an intervention.) But I’m so glad that I did, because I really like this one!

Be sure to hop along at the Love Me Do Bella Blog Hop tomorrow, February 13, starting at 10 AM Eastern at the StampingBella Blog! I'm so excited to be playing along as one of the Blog Hop Stops! My first one!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you'll visit again soon!

Peace, Love, and Anya!

2010-01-13T12:11:00.008-05:00

WOO-HOO! I'm halfway through my TGF 12 Days of Sketches cards and this one is my favorite one of the bunch! The colors are so much better IRL - it was another gray, snowy day when this was taken. Day 6 featured a fabulous and versatile sketch by Cindy Haffner, but I stayed true to the original (time was becoming a factor at this point; although, obviously not enough of one!) If you haven't hopped over to the TGF blog, be sure to do so and check out the awesome creations by the DT and Farmers and Guests! SO much eye candy and inspiration!

I JUST LOVE THIS HIPPIE ANYA!
Thanks and {hugs} to my stampin' sister Michelle for sending her to me as part of an awesome card kit!! That green Prima (I didn't have any green ones!) and the little "love" charm were part of her kit, too. (Can't wait to play with the other goodies in there!) I was gifted the cool frosty heart charm from Karen, another stampin' sister! I just threaded some DMC floss around it to mimic a peace sign.

I have someone in mind for this card who, by her own admission, would have been a hippie flower child had she grown up in the San Fran area. LOL! I used more of my fav paper from K&Company because the colors are perfect for her. And I have been dying to use this yummy ribbon that yet another stampin' sister Paola sent me eons ago! Once again, the perfect card presented itself for things that I am hoarding!

I hope you enjoyed this card as much as I do! Thanks for stopping by today!
And Peace, Love, and Stampin', baby!

DETAILS
Image: The Greeting Farm "Hippie Anya"
Ink: Memento, SU
Cardstock: SU
Patterned Paper: K&Company
Copics: 0,B21,B91,E000,E31,E35,G40,R20,R22, R24, RV000,Y11,YR23
Other: Raindot, DMC floss, ribbon, charms

Sweetly Soft Miss Anya - Day 5

2010-01-11T06:35:00.007-05:00

TGF's 12 Days sketch challenge last month revealed another great sketch on Day 5 by Mercy Kerin! How does she keep coming up with these??

The lighting when I took this picture was awful, so I do apologize. The sweet Miss Anya image was a gift from my dear stampin sister & friend Kadie. Those familiar with her know that she is uber-creative and a rockstar card maker! I can only hope I did this image justice! All of the colors were pulled from the floral paper - wonderfully soft but with hints of poppy red. And I thought the colors and playful pattern suited Miss Anya to a T.

So it's a super quick post for today, but I think I'll actually have all 12 Days of Sketches posted before the end of January! Yay! I almost can't want to post my card for Day 6, because I must admit that it's my favorite! Maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day . . . hmm, you'll just have to come back to find out! Ah-ha-ha-ha!

Until then, happy creating!

DETAILS
Image: The Greeting Farm "Miss Anya Collection"
Ink: Ranger Tattered Rose distress, SU pale plum
Cardstock: Stampin Up
Patterned Paper: Me & My Big Ideas (floral panel), others unknown
Copics: C2,C4,E000,E31,E35,G40, R22,R24,RV000,V12,V17,Y21,Y23,Y26
Accessories: Primas, Dewdrops. Fiskars punch

Toby's Still Celebrating!

2010-01-10T20:19:00.011-05:00

Toby just can't stop ringing in 2010!

As soon as I saw this free digi by Marina Neira on the TGF Blog, I had to snatch him up! Here he is celebrating the new year using another great sketch by Mercy from day Day #4 of TGFs 12 Days of Sketches.

Toby decided to be adventurous and toss his usual New Year's black tie for purple! And not just anything purple, but purple velvet and bling (thanks Roxane!) combined with a little silver sparkle. He's still partying, so I guess it was a good choice!

If you haven't seen all of Marina's sweet Critter Crew images, go take a look! They are simply adorable! And I have to give a big WOO-HOO! to one of my stamping sisters, Sandra, who was tapped as a Jan/Feb Guest Designer for the Critter Crew! You'll be amazed and inspired by Sandra and the entire group of TGF designers!

I'm so glad you stopped by for a visit! Happy creating!

DETAILS
Image: The Greeting Farm "Happy New Year Toby"
Ink: Memento
Cardstock: The Paper Company, Stampin Up
Patterned Paper: The Paper Company
Copics: 0,C1,C2,C4,E31,E35,E47,E57,R20,V12,V15,YR00
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Nestabilities, K&Co. rhinestones, Kreinik silver filament, velvet cardstock from my stash, Sakura stardust pen.

Riley's Having Snow Much Fun!

2010-01-09T19:00:00.003-05:00

Thank goodness the snow has finally stopped and the sun was out all day! BUT the temps are still in the teens and that's just way too cold for this girl and just thinking about it makes me shiver...brrrrrrrr! I was going to post another TGF card today, but I decided to post my Sisterhood card from December, before I forget.

Our wonderful hostess Fay challenged us to create cards featuring a winter scene. When I was a kid, winter was all about snow, so I couldn't think of a better image than Riley building a friendly snowman. I was leafing through an SU 6x6 patterned paper pack and couldn't decide what color I liked best - Not Quite Navy, Always Artichoke, or More Mustard - so I created 2 cards of each. I sure hope Fay didn't mind but as hostess, she can keep her favorite!

For embellishments, I just punched some snowflakes from white cardstock and added rhinestones to their centers for a little sparkle.

I just love this fun pom-pom trim I found by chance buried in a dollar bin at Michael's and thought it was the perfect ribbon for the card. A little bit of pom-pom fluff added to Riley's hat and some Sakura stardust accents on the snowman finish these 4-1/2" square cards.

My plan for today was to pack away Christmas, but I spent the better part of it snoozing on the recliner nursing a combo sinus/migraine headache (which, by the way, has *nothing* to do with the 3 pomegranate martinis I had last night despite what my sister thinks!). And as great as it was to finally see the sun, the glare off all the snow streaming through our floor-to-ceiling windows was just a bit painful. Oh well, I'll get the holiday trimmings packed away tomorrow. Unless The Girl and The Man come down with some rare Let's Pack Up The Holiday For Mom disease that causes them to take care of it for me in the middle of the night. I know, I stand a better chance of winning the lottery.

Thanks for visiting today, and I hope that wherever you are, you're snug and cozy and warm!

DETAILS
Image: Riley and Company
Ink: Memento
Cardstock & Patterned Paper: Stampin Up
Copics: B95,B97,C1,E25,E31,E35,G40,G85,Y26
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Nestabilities, snowflake embossing folder, Sakura stardust pen, dimensionals, flat-back rhinestones

Cool Argyle Ian

2010-01-08T10:14:00.012-05:00

Okay, it's time to start posting the rest of my cards for TGF's 12 Days of Sketches Challenge! You might remember my blathering on that I'm doing this as my own personal challenge to finish what I start. Challenges are such a great way to get the creative juices flowing, and I'm always saying I'm going to do *this challenge* or *that challenge*. But for one reason or another, I either don't get them started or I don't get them completed. And to that I say, No more! So on with the cards!

After playing around with the layout of Mercy Kerin's great sketch for Day #3, I decided to stay with her original layout.
This is the first Dress Up Ian card I've ever created - actually, it's the first Ian card I've ever created! I received the images in a card kit swap I hosted. I thought the colors in these scraps of DP from my stash were very Ian-like, and I wanted to use my argyle embossing folder, so I decided to go with Ian's argyle sweater outfit. So cute!

And speaking of scraps, I really like how the piece of acrylic I also ran through the argyle emobssing folder turned out! It was hard to photograph but I think I caught enough of it to see.

I just inked up the edges with brown Stazon for definition, then finished the card with some ribbon and a couple of my few remaining Hodgepodge Hardware pieces. COOL!

So we're in the midst of the cold and the snow that are gripping much of the country, but we've been lucky compared to some. Combined with the snow that was already on the ground, we have about 8 inches and they're only calling for about 3 to 5 more through tomorrow night. I'm lucky because I'm off today and am just chillaxing in my PJs before getting ready for a girls night out. Dinner and a show - Menopause The Musical - in Pittsburgh with my sister Mary and my friends Barb & Mary Alice. I've heard the whole production is hysterical and that the songs are to-die-for funny, so I'm considering investing in some type of, uh, "protection", if you know what I mean. I'm sure there will be a few martinis with dinner, and my bladder isn't what she used to be! AH-HA-HA-HA! (Gee, I hope that doesn't offend anyone! It's an inside joke, because before "the change", my sister always said I had a bladder of steel, but now it feels more like heavy-duty aluminum foil. Better safe than sorry!)

Hope you're all warm and safe and enjoying your Friday! Thanks for stopping by and hope you'll pop back for Day #4's sketch card tomorrow!

Happy Creating!

DETAILS
Image: The Greeting Farm “Dress Up Ian”
Ink: Memento, Stazon
Cardstock: SU
Patterned Paper: My Minds Eye (well, I'm 99% sure they are!)
Copics: 0,B91,B95,B97,C1,C2,E000,E29,E47,E57,G40,G85,Y11,Y23
Accessories: Cuttlebug & embossing folder, SU Hodgepodge Hardware, Basic Grey ribbon, acrylic, dimensionals

KitCat Too Much Snow!

2010-01-04T22:15:00.009-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! Really? Have we just moved into a brand-new year already? I guess what they say is true - the older you get, the faster the time goes by. (Who are 'they' anyway and what gives 'them' so much credibility? LOL)

I don't know about where you live, but 2010 here in Western PA has started off frigid and blustery and snowy and is just not letting up with school delays due to wind chills and snow every day as far out as they're predicting! This is the kind of weather that makes me just want to stay home and snuggle because it, combined with the shortened days, tends to sap my energy for all things non-essential. It's definitely not my favorite kind of weather, but it's oh-so-perfect for this month's KitCat card! (Yes, I know, I'm a day late in posting - remember my reference to non-essential energy sapping?)

Jeanette was December's hostess and could not have chosen a better image than this adorable snowman, called Too Much Snow from Plum Purdy. He was so much fun to color, and I have to tell you - his resemblance of yours truly after she ate her way through the days between Thanksgiving and New Years is just remarkable!

Jeanette also included some die-cut snowflakes that I dazzled up with glitter, the wonderful flocked snowflake ribbon, the sparkly, bluesy, wintry DPs, and some clear glittery buttons (that I didn't use on this card but will on another featuring Mr. Snowman in the future.) As if all of that wasn't enough, she even included a small bag of snow (for Kelly's sake so she could have some snow in Florida) that she made by rubbing two foam balls together -- genius!! I used my snow on the scalloped Nestie and, using a glue pen, made some of it "fall" around Mr. Snowman. The effect in real life is just fabulous!

Jeanette, thanks for such a wonderful, wintry, sparkly kit! Of course, the other Kittens have once again made beautiful wintry cards with their kits, so be sure to hop over to their blogs to check them out!
Catherine
Jeanette
Kelly
Lorie
Michelle
Every one of the kits so far has been amazing, and this month, it's my turn to put together something for the kittens to create. Yay!

I'm also entering this card for the Sweet & Sassy Stamping Around Challenge. There's plenty of time to enter, so ink up your favorite snowman stamp to play!

OH, in case you're wondering what happened to my sketch cards for TGF's 12 Days of Sketches, well . . . I made it through Sketch 9 before running out of time. But I am going to post each of them here, and I *will* create cards using all 12 sketches! Being entered to win the entire January release would have been great, but it's more important for me to follow through what I started by finishing this set of sketches.

And there you have one of my biggest resolutions - stay the course! Don't get distracted by sparkly things or some unfinished project on my craft desk!! And lose 20 pounds. And get organized. And somehow become independently wealthy so I can just stay home and stamp.

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you'll come back to check out my TGF sketches cards. Wishing you all countless blessings and reasons to smile in the new year!

DETAILS
Image: Plum Purdy “Too Much Snow”
Ink: Memento
Cardstock: Papertrey, SU
Patterned Paper: Masterpiece Studios
Copics: 0,B21,B95,C1,C2,C4,E21,E31,E35,R22,R29,Y23,YR18
Accessories: Glitter, Nestabilities, dimensionals, MS snowflake punch

Mermaid Joy!

2009-12-22T13:41:00.010-05:00

I know, I know - it's Day 4 in the TGF 12 Days of Sketches challenge, and I'm just posting Day 2. But it's all good, because this challenge is really getting my mojo going and we have until January 3 to play with all the sketches!

I *really* like Day 2's sketch by Mercy Kerin because to me, it just screams for lots and lots of layers! Counting all the mats & base, this 5-1/2" square card has ELEVEN of 'em!

I colored up this Anya *eons* ago when I met up with Catherine for an Archivers afternoon. (*sigh* I'm going through 'Archivers with Catherine' withdrawal.) She just received the new Copics, and I couldn't wait to try the ethereal, watery blue/green. It turned out to be a great compliment to the fun DP and shimmery Sea Glass cardstock I wanted to use.

The accent band was supposed to go all the way across the card, but the shimmery Gun Metal cardstock was also from my stash, and I didn't have a piece quite long enough. The pretty organza poinsettia is the last one from a pack I found at the dollar store, and I just added a rhinestone center. (wish I had bought more of those flowers...)

Of course, one rhinestone is never enough, especially since I made this card for a friend who likes lots o' sparkle. So I glammed up Anya's hair with some more rhinestones and irridescent glitter, which I also used for her sparkly scales. Finally, I used really small Nesties for the JOY sentiment, and I hope that my friend feels "joyful" when she opens this card!

I am on a personal mission to follow this "12 Days" challenge through to the end!! I have realized that the only way to keep my mojo motivated is to use it, so I hope to create a card for Day 3 tonight after the rest of the house is asleep, then catch up with Days 4 & 5 tomorrow. Hey, I gotta have goals, right?

I hope you'll follow along with me as I continue through the challenge, and I hope you're finding time from the hustle and bustle to sit and stamp for a while, too!

Thanks for visiting! Happy creating!

DETAILS
Image: The Greeting Farm “Mermaid Anya”
Ink: Memento
Cardstock: The Paper Company
Patterned Paper: DCWV Winter Mat Stack
Copics: C00,BG0000
Accessories: Flat-back rhinestones, ribbon, dimensionals

TGF's 12 Days of Sketches: Day 1

2009-12-20T12:05:00.014-05:00

Have you heard? Over on The Greeting Farm blog you'll find The 12 Days of Sketches Challenge! What a great way to keep our mojo motivated during the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season!

The color inspiration for my Pretty Hat Card for Day One's Sketch by Cindy Haffner comes from the yummy-licious Wild Raspberry collection from K&Company. Oooo, I just *love* all the colors in that collection and will be using more of it during these 12 days.

There are lots of distressed layers to this card as well as my favorites - pearls, pearls, and more pearls! Oh, and I found the peachy moire ribbon in my stash and thought it was something that Anya might tie in her hair!

So there you have it! Today's post is short & sweet 'cuz this girl has lots of hustling and bustling to do today. And tomorrow. And....

If you still need more motivation to play in this challenge, how about this: everyone who completes all 12 sketches by January 3 will be entered into a drawing to win the entire January TFG release! WOO-HOO!

I'm so glad you stopped by for a visit today. Happy creating!

DETAILS
Image: The Greeting Farm “Pretty Hat Anya”
Ink: Memento, Ranger Distress
Cardstock: Stampin Up
Paper: K&Company "Wild Raspberry"
Copics: 0,E00,E000,E25,E31,E35,E47,E57,R22,R24,RV000,Y21,Y23,Y26,YR00
Accessories: Flat-back pearls, Primas, ribbon, dimensionals

When You Wish Upon A Star

2009-12-19T01:08:00.019-05:00

Mum, I miss you so much!
I know that you are happy and at peace in Heaven, and I remember that each time I feel the ache of not having you here. I know you are always in my heart and in my memories, and I feel you with me every day. I love you, Mum!
Love, Your Missy Mouse

One year ago today, my life changed forever when I lost my Mum after a 4 1/2 year battle with breast cancer. Mum just could not get enough of Disney World, so I thought I'd share one of my favorite pics of her and Daddy having a great time with Tigger!

This past year has been so, so difficult for me, for all of us. It has been so empty, so unnatural not having Mum here and at times, it seemed like the overwhelming sadness would never end. But as each "first" was reached, and each month passed, the hurt slowly started to heal. It will never go away, but that's just a testament to the love I have for her, and she for me.

My sister and I were with her that cold, rainy morning, and at the time I didn't realize what a blessing for me being that would be. For several days, Mum struggled and labored to breathe. The entire family was home and able to tell her good-bye, so we could not figure out what she was waiting for. Then we remembered: our grandfather's - her father's - birthday was on December 19. That had to be it.

Shortly before 8 AM, the day nurse came into her room and was surprised that Mum had made it through the night. She told us to open the window because she said when it's raining and someone is so close, their soul will go straight to Heaven on the rain.

So we opened the window. At that exact moment something divine happened in that room, and no one is going to tell us otherwise. Her labored breathing suddenly calmed, and she had an utter expression of pure peace and an ever-so-slight smile on her face. Five minutes later, Mum took God's hand and went with Him to her eternal life in Heaven. Had I not been there and witnessed it for myself, I don't think I would be where I am in my healing.

I also would not be at that place today without the comfort, strength, and love I've received from my dear friends in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Cards. I am so blessed to have met them through, of all things, stamping!! I was so angry at God for allowing this to happen and I was becoming a not nice person. The deep faith, friendship, and encouragement of those wonderful gals helped me to replace my anger with compassion and caring and helped me to remember all the blessings from God that I have in my life. I love you gals, and I know Mum would love you too!!! {HUG}

I told my dad the other day that I thought of Mum as truly being home for Christmas, because she's in Heaven. He looked at me and hesitated for a moment, but then said, Yes, you're right. She is home for Christmas!

So the next time you are missing someone you've lost, I hope you will try to picture them celebrating Christ's birthday with Him in Heaven, and that it will bring you comfort and peace and joy. And look through your favorite photos of them to bring a smile to your face and a lightness to your heart! And remember,

When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are, everything your heart desires, will come to you.

A Wild West Birthday! Yee-Haa!

2009-12-15T19:08:00.008-05:00

*whewee!* I'm plum tuckered out after making this card!

I desperately needed to make a card for my sister Mary’s birthday (which is tomorrow!), but as usual, I couldn’t make up my mind which image to use. I remembered the hoard of card kits under my desk and pulled out the bin and was overjoyed! I totally forgot that I had sorted them by stamp companies into gallon-size zip-top bags! Woo-Hoo! So I reached into the TGF bag and pulled out a cute kit featuring Wild West Anya! The kit included the images, super-fun papers, and the jute string. All I added from my stash were the buttons and cardstock! COOL!

You’re probably wondering why I don’t have anything matted with Nesties. That’s because this is my entry for the Farm Fresh Friday Challenge over at The Greeting Farm. This week’s challenge is to create a K.I.S.S. card – Keep It Simply Shaped! The rules are simple: no diecuts, no Nesties, not more than one punch, only straight edges on any layers, and not going overboard on the embellies.

This little filly all dressed in her blue suede Stetson and matching boots is waaay more than just a pretty face. She's quite the cowgirl, too!

Would you just look how Anya has lassoed a Yee-Haa cut from DP to wish Mary a happy birthday! (Yes, yes, those are curved edges…so sue me. LOL!).

I wanted to use more of the twine on the card, so I tied her braids with some and added the little loopy loops behind the image panel – do you like?

I gotta tell ya, I am so thrilled with way this card turned out! I’m glad that I finally had a bit of time to play in a challenge! Why don’t you hop on over and play along, too? You have until December 16 to upload your creation!

I’m so glad you stopped by and visited today! Happy creating!

DETAILS
Image: The Greeting Farm “Wild West Anya”
Ink:Memento
Cardstock: Stampin Up
Copics: B21, B91, B95, C1, C2, E00, E000, E25, E31, E35, E47, RV000, V12, YR00
Accessories: Buttons, jute twine, Sakura pen, dimensionals

Secret Santa Sneaky Peeky?

2009-12-12T07:57:00.005-05:00

Isn't this red velvet stitched ribbon just yummy?! I think so, and it just might be somewhere in my Secret Sister Santa's box-o-goodies that's winging its way to her door. Is it on a card? Is it on the spool? Is it on an altered? Is it tied around her prezzies? Did I keep it all for myself? Sorry, I can't tell ya. tee-hee-hee

Wow, Christmas is less than two weeks away - are you ready? The long-range forecasts say we here in Western PA may have a white Christmas. But this year, I'm hoping it doesn't snow until after my nephew's flight arrives from NYC and my sister's family drives in from central PA on Christmas eve. I wish nothing more than having everyone home this Christmas for my Dad.

It still does not seem possible that it will be one year next Saturday that Mum took God's hand and slipped peacefully into Heaven. Last Christmas was a blur as we were still numb from losing her, and it's been a year full of emotional ups and downs as we marked all of the "firsts" without her here. But we do have all of our memories, and our tears are being replaced by smiles and laughs more and more as we share them.

Mum always made Christmas such a special time, and I've vowed to honor her by trying to keep Christmas as special as I can. One of those ways is to attempt to bake all of the scrumptious pastries that she made for the holidays: nut horns, nut cups, spritz, Russian teacakes, apricot squares, ladylocks, pizzelles (one at a time mind you), nut rolls, thumbprints, etc. I must admit it's more difficult that I thought. My nut cups are a little wonkly, but edible. Forget about the pizzelles and nut rolls. But I WILL conquer the ladylocks!

Everyone, and I mean everyone, raved about Mum's ladylocks. She made her own delicate puff pastry and light-as-air cream filling. The shells were so flaky and delicate that if you filled them too quickly, they would shatter! In fact, she used to accuse Daddy of breaking them intentionally so he could eat them. LOL Well, I cheated and bought frozen puff pastry and even then, I ruined the first couple batches. They resembled nothing of Mum's petite, flaky shells, but rather mangled, twisted wreckage on steroids. I called my Dad to tell him about my troubles, and after he stopped laughing, he said that Mum was surely getting a good laugh out of the whole thing, too!

Hearing him say that with a hearty laugh really made my heart feel good because I know he misses her so much. So while having a white Christmas would be nice, having all of my family home and together this year is what I want more than anything. Hope all your wishes come true, too!

I was supposed to meet my sweet and talented friend Catherine for an Archiver's day today, but car issues caused us to reschedule. *sigh* Hmmm, I told Catherine that things happen for a reason... Maybe Mum is telling me I need to get back to baking if I want to finish everything by Christmas? As long as she's looking over my shoulder, even if she is laughing at me, I think I'm up to the task. Ladylocks, here I come!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Creating! (and Baking!)

KitCat Cocoa Puff

2009-12-09T23:05:00.004-05:00

It's KitCat time! Yes, we normally post on the first Sunday of the month, but we kittens needed a little more time (some of us (me) more than others as I am getting this post up just in the nick of time).

This month's hostess was the super-sweet and talented Catherine, who sent us adorable Cocoa Puff images by Victoria Case for Susana's Custom Art and Card Design along with some yummy Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses papers and fun, funky fibers!

Another square card...I just can't get enough of them! After coloring with Copics, I cut out the image and placed it on a circle of embossed snowflakes that I sparkled up a wee bit with some flat-back rhinestones. Just a couple snowflake brads and the fun, funky fibers from my kit and presto! There's a card! I'm not completely thrilled with this; I wish I had done something less symmetrical and more fluid. Oh well, next time!

Oooo, I can't *wait* to see how the other kittens have worked their magic with these kits! Be sure to check them out:
Catherine
Jeanette
Kelly
Lorie
Michelle

I know this post is really short but I'm really tired and need to go to bed before my head crashes into the keyboard!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Creating!

DETAILS
Image: Victoria Case "Cocoa Puff"
Ink: Memento
Cardstock: PTI, Stampin Up
Papers: Basic Grey Eskimo Kiss Collection
Copics: B21, C1, C4, E000, G40, G99, R20, R22, R24, RV000, V15, V17, Y11, Y21
Accessories: Rhinestones, Snowflake brads, fiber, Sakura Gelly Roll, Nestabilities

I'm Dreaming of a Lavender Christmas

2009-12-04T06:15:00.012-05:00

Well, would you look at this - it's a blog post. And I'm excited about it, because it's my creation for our monthly Sisterhood of the Traveling Cards!

Our wonderful hostess for November, Lindalee (aka tatterpuss), gave us the challenge to create a Christmas card with one catch -- no red and no green. So, I went with purple because it's one of Lindalee's favorite colors.

The layout is from the Nov/Dec Papercrafts magazine and as soon as I saw it on the cover, I knew I wanted to use it. And the dear Catherine helped me choose the beautiful shimmery background DP at our last Archiver's meet. It's gorgeous IRL and looks like a frosted window or swirling snow!

I also knew I wanted to stamp the snowflake on acetate so it was floating above the card, but the biggest challenge was how to attach it. A dimensional would show and I didn't have any small, thick glue dots, so I punched small acetate stars, attached 'em to brads with CE, then attached the snowflakes to those with CE.

It worked great and I got the shadow I wanted, but now my concern is did they hold up during mailing??? I really hope so and I really hope that Lindalee likes them!

I'd love to say "Come back tomorrow for another card", but I know me too well. LOL Besides, this is my Holidays Here I Come Weekend. I took vacation for Monday and Tuesday, so between 5:00 AM Saturday and 11:59 PM Tuesday, I WILL put up the tree, decorate the house, and bake, bake, bake!!!

But I DO know I'll definitely have a post on Wednesday for the KitCat Card Club for the festive kit from Catherine! Normally, we would be posting this Sunday, but we kittens are a little busy, so we gave ourselves purrrrr-mission to wait a few extra days to post.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Creating!

KitCat Club & Create4Fun Challenge

2009-11-01T20:53:00.013-05:00

Hidey Ho Neighbors! It's the first Sunday of the month and that means it's time for another KitCat card!

The marvelous Michelle was our hostess and she asked each of us to pick a holiday for our kit. Of course, I chose Christmas and was *so* excited when I opened my kit and found some *sa-weet* Sugar Nellie Manga Girls and all sorts of goodies: DPs and snowflakes and trim, oh my!

The Manga Girl was so much fun to color up with Copics, and this week's Create4Fun Challenge #44 layout was *perfect* to feature the die-cut snowflakes Michelle included. I dressed 'em up with some white gel pen dots, and it's hard to see, but they're at 3 different heights of dimensionals too. The holly berry DP and embossed snowflake panel (that I sponged with Ruby Red) are really festive, and, *ooooo* isn't this crocheted trim just yummy?

Be sure to visit the other Kittens to see what they've created with their kits!
Catherine, Jeanette, Kelly, Lorie, Michelle

Michelle, thanks for such a great kit---I *loved* making this card! And I have even more DP and a different Manga girl left, so I think another Christmas card will be in the works this week.

Pssssst . . . . Before you go, I have to share a secret: this card almost did not come to be, for I misplaced my images and was in a panic for 3 days until I found them. {rolling eyes at self} Organization is good, as long as you can remember where you put things!

Thanks for visiting and Happy Creating!
Susan

DETAILS
Stamps: Sugar Nellie Manga Girls; other sentiment
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; SU Old Olive, Ruby Red
Papers: PTI, SU, Basic Grey
Crocheted Trim: Pink Paislee
Copics: C4, E00, E000, E31, E35, G40, G99, R20, R29, RV000, Y11
Accessories: Sakura pen, DMC floss, buttons, dimensionals

What's Wrong With Mermaids? Or Sombreros?

2009-10-28T15:09:00.014-04:00

Over in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Cards on SCS, Roxie picked the fabulous theme of non-traditional holidays for October's swap. After poring over the amazingly long lists of unknown quirky holidays, I decided on National Tell A Fairy Tale Day, which is celebrated on February 26.

I just love this Mermaid Anya from The Greeting Farm! She was a gift from the sweet Kadie and I can't believe this is the first time she has seen ink! And no, the colors are not very sea-like, but it IS Tell a Fairy Tale Day, so my little mermaid can be pink and flowery instead of blue and watery, right?

I colored the Anyas with Copics when I met up with Catherine a few weeks ago at the Archiver's crop. Yes, that's right. I drove 3 hours round trip to color with Catherine, and I'd do it again! (It also helped me keep my crop tab under $50.)

I wish you could see the shimmery paper IRL that I embossed - it's gorgeous! I couldn't decide where to put ribbon, so I made a little sentiment tag instead. I added the rhinestones to the flowers & her hair, and finished with a sparkly dot border.

So, have you ever Googled "obscure holidays" and looked through the results? Here's just a teeny-tiny sampling of what's out there:
National Peach Cobbler Day Yummy!
Hug an Australian Day {HUGS} to Sandra!
Measure Your Feet Day Uh, why?
Beercan Appreciation Day There's one for The Man!
Clams on the Halfshell Day What???

Not only are they inspirations for cards, they're also reasons to throw a party every day! WOO-HOO! I still cannot believe there is not National Mermaid Day or Wear a Sombrero Day. Oh well, I could always dress like a mermaid with a sombrero on Wear Something Gaudy Day!

I'll leave you with a fun "tidbits about me" quiz that I found over on Sandra's blog, where the catch is to use only one-word answers. If you decide to take the quiz on your blog, post a comment here so I can hop over and check it out!

1. Where is your cell phone? Charging
2. Your hair? Layered
3. Your mother? *Missed*
4. Your father? Wise
5. Your favorite food? Pasta
6. Your dream last night? Nonsensical
7. Your favorite drink? Tonics!
8. Your dream/goal? Evolving
9. What room are you in? Craftin'
10. Your hobby? Hello?!
11. Your fear? Blindness
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Here
13. Where were you last night? Recliner
14. Something that you aren’t? Active
15. Muffins? Croissants!
16. Wish list item? Housekeeper
17. Where did you grow up? Pennsylvania
18. Last thing you did? Texted
19. What are you wearing? Sweats
20. Your TV? Selective
21. Your pets? Felines
22. Friends? Priceless
23. Your life? Blessed
24. Your mood? Neutral
25. Missing someone? Several
26. Vehicle? Pontiac
27. Something you’re not wearing? Makeup
28. Your favorite store? LSS
29. Your favorite color? Pink
30. When was the last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? Yesterday
32. Your best friend? Rosie
33. One place that you go to over and over? Market
34. One person who emails me regularly? Mary {my sister}
35. Favorite place to eat? OliveGarden

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Creating!
~Susan~

DETAILS
Stamps: The Greeting Farm 'Mermaid Anya', Studio G sentiment
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Papers: Bazzill, Stampin Up, The Paper Company
Copics: E00, E000, E11, R20, R22, RV000, Y21, Y23
Accessories: Sakura Gelly Roll, Primas, Rhinestones, Nestabilities, Dimensionals

Get Well Tilda

2009-10-20T02:00:00.003-04:00

I can hear all of you now: Susan has another blog post in one week? What's up with that? What's up is actually a multitude of reasons, but more on those later. The main reason is that I want to post the things that I've made but have neglected to post, so you'll be seeing lots more posting going on over here.

My sweet stampin' sister Tanja shared some of her Magnolia images with me and I used one of the Tildas on this get-well card for Catherine, who I'm happy to say, is feeling much, much better and looking just peachy! We went to an all-day crop at Archivers on Sunday, where WE GOT SO MUCH DONE that now we're both LOOKING for things to do! (yeah, right)

Tilda is colored up with Copics, and the more I use them, the more I love them! They're actually quite user friendly, and although I have quite a way to go as far as creating beautiful depth with them, I am beginning to understand the whole layering thing.

I added some shimmer to her wings with a sweep of PearlEx over VersaMarker, and embellished with some ribbon, dewdrops, and a frosted green heart. Finally, in the style of the amazingly creative Carolyn, I did finish the inside with some layers of DP and cardstock. It's nowhere near the masterpieces that Carolyn creates, but at least the inside isn't as naked as a jaybird!

So back to my reasons for more frequent blog posting:

I want to use the stash of papers, ribbons, and embellies I've been hoarding.

I want to alter all the stuff I have in the plastic tote under my table.

I want to use my Copics so that I can get the hang of them.

I want to use the 70+ card kits in my possession (with more on their way soon!).

I want to play in some sketch challenges and color challenges and stamp company challenges because they look like fun!

I want to make and send cards to people just because.

I want to quit my day job and just play in my craft room!!!

Okay, fine, so that last one is not going to happen unless I or someone who likes me hits the MegaUberGinormousPowerGigaballLottery and shares with me. But I think the other items on my list are realistic with a little planning and dedication on my part. And surely, The Man or The Girl will do the laundry, shop for groceries, cook, feed The Furry Ones, dust & vacuum, and pay the utilities. (Look, the incomparable Kadie may be able to rock the stampin' world by candlelight, but I can't.)

I hope you'll visit again to see what else I've been doing in my spare time while avoiding housework!

Happy Creating!
Susan

In an Altered State!

2009-10-19T02:00:00.002-04:00

Last year in The Sisterhood, we had a secret Santa goodies swap, which, in addition to the papers, embellies, and such, had to include at least one altered item. "Oh, great!" I thought, because other than a recipe, the last *thing* I altered was one of Mum's shoeboxes for a Valentine's Day receptacle back in 5th grade. But then I remembered my sister, Mary, had recently used Modge Podge to make a beautiful lamp shade and thought, Well, if *she* can do that, certainly I could alter something!

So off I went to the craft store, and I ended up altering a small wooden desktop caddy and a big paper mache "L" for my secret sis, Lindalee, using ink, DP, ribbon, and flowers. I think they turned out nice, but most important, Lindalee liked them!

Unfortunately, I have no pictures to post because, well, I'm a loser and didn't take any before I shipped them. But I do have a few recent altereds to share with you.

First up are the paper mache boxes I altered for the sweet and sassy Karen, my secret sis for The Sisterhood's secret summer swap. (NOTE: *Never* underestimate how long customs will hold a box that contains nothing more than papercraft supplies.)

I fell in love with this Wild Raspberry paper collection by K&Co. and thought the colors were something Karen would like, too. After sponging on some Very Vanilla craft ink, I simply MP'd the paper panels then added some pink primas with yellow button centers to finish the tops. After the boxes were finished, I tucked some of the embellies I chose for her inside.

I was nervous about how they would hold up during shipping to Toronto in the summer heat: I had visions of the packing tissue and various other things sticking to them, causing them to look like a 5-year old made them, but Karen assured me they arrived safe and sound. Yay!

Next up are the altered wooden tray and recipe box I made for Lady Catherine for our Craft Room Organizing Smack-Down.

I chose these beautiful papers from My Mind's Eye that featured Cat's favorite colors of greens and blues and earth tones. I painted the tray & sponged the box with cream craft paint, then sponged several coordinating colors on the tray for a worn, distressed look.

To dress up the box a bit, I found matching flat-back pearls and added a dimensional flower that I cut from the DP. Insided I added a piece of DP to the lid.

It was so great meeting Catherine to exchange our goodies! You'll find the sweet goodies that Cat made for me here! After breakfast, we spent *hours* browsing and shopping at Archivers, all the while laughing and talking and being total shopping enablers to each other!

Now that I've made these fun projects, I look at many things and wonder, Hmmm, could I Modge Podge that? As a result, I have a tote full of stuff waiting to be transformed into something new. So, if you haven't played with Modge Podge in a while, grab a bottle and have a go at it. You'll be surprised at how easy it is to create fun, funky items for yourself or gifts for others.

tick, tick, tick...Christmas is just around the corner, you know!

Happy Creating!
Susan

October KitCat Club!

2009-10-04T20:57:00.011-04:00

*WHEW* It's been a long day and I was worried that I wasn't going to get this posted! And I only have one photo because my camera is not cooperating. grrrrrr . . . . .

The beautiful Lorie was October's KitCat Club hostess, and she sent us the most frightfully fun altering project -- a wooden picture frame! Along with the frame, she sent cute Peachy Keen images, double-sided DPs, ribbon, glittery buttons, and even a nail file & a glue stick!

I ended up sponging the DPs with Ranger Tea Dye to distress them a bit, and after attaching them to the frame, I sanded the edges and sponged the bare wood with the same distress ink.

Mr. Star looked so frightened! In fact, he's so frightened that he is about to fall on Mr. Candy Corn! LOL!! I was thinking about what would make me freak out like that, and there's pretty much only one thing - a spider! YUK!!! I found the web and spider buttons in my stash and attached them with Crystal Effects. I used the ribbon to make a "flower" to highlight the sentiment, and added some of my own green buttons to the glittery ones.

Lorie thanks so much for challenging us with this project! It was so much fun to make!!

Be sure to check out the *amazing* creations by the other KitKat gals:
Catherine

Oooo, I can't wait to find out what November's KitCat project will be! Until then,

Happy Creating!
Susan

The KitCat Club!

2009-09-06T12:54:00.030-04:00

A few weeks ago, the always cheerful Kelly invited me and several other stamping sisters to play along in a monthly kit club. Her mojo was in need of a little motivation, and she was inspired by the same idea that some of the other stamping sisters were doing (*wink, wink*).

We each take turns hosting by putting together a kit of images and DP, then sending them on to the other players. All images in each kit must be the same, but we can send different DP to each or keep it all the same. We'll add our own other embellies as we wish, and on the 6th of the following month, we'll all post to our blogs to see how we made the kits our own. The kits can be for cards, altereds, or anything the hostess feels like creating that month.

In addition to Kelly, I'm so excited to be playing along with my stamping sisters Catherine, Jeanette, Lorie, and Michelle. Talk about a group of mojo motivators! {HUGS}

Of course, it was fitting that Kelly was the inaugural hostess for August! She chose this fun Stampavie Leere Aldrich image because to her, it represented our friendship with each other and how much fun we have in our group.

She sent different DP to each of us, and I received some yummy DP from Cosmo Cricket. She also included some Prima flowers and brads (although my brads got a little smooshed in their journey with the USPS. Sorry Kelly!).

I layered her flowers with some of mine, accenting them with blue dewdrop centers and pretty copper cording.

I "chromed" the tabletop and chairs with a silver Sakura pen, and I added dabs of Crystal Effects to the DP for a little dimension.

Finally, I decided to use a piece of the DP to snaz up the inside for writing a sentiment. I *love, love, love* how Carolyn always finishes the insides of her cards, although hers are WAY more than some pretty DP and photo corners! LOL

The finished card is a 5-1/2 x 5-1/2 square, and I find I'm making more and more square cards as I go along.

This was great fun and I can't wait to see what the other KitCats created! Swing on over to their blogs for a look:

Catherine
Jeanette
Kelly
Lorie
Michelle

Hmmm, I wonder what September's hostess will have in store for us? Check back on the 6th of October to find out!

Happy Creating!

Susan

Craft Room Conquest!

2009-08-17T12:54:00.002-04:00

I know, I know, this post is a day late, but yesterday turned out to be one of those days that got completely away from me. Not because we were super busy; just the opposite. We really didn’t do much at all, which was a nice change from the frenetic working weekends Bob and I have had all summer. And as I was laying there drifting to sleep, I realized I forgot to make this post.

But before I continue, I must give a HUGE Thank You and Shout Out to Catherine for motivating me to get this done! {HUGS}

So here is my organized craft room! No more ironing board, and the contents of those boxes have either been filed or, most likely, thrown in the trash.

I did a little reorganization of the tall shelf unit, moving my 12x12 papers to the other hutch. Right now, those green & black boxes hold my SU and non-SU ink pads, but Bob is making me a storage unit that will sit on the desk just under the window.

Now I can get to the drawers that hold my crochet supplies (which reminds me that I need to get to work on some long-overdue projects for some special card-making sisters!

Plus I can keep my IKEA tray with my current project pieces off the craft desk. Keeping everything on this tray makes it easy to move if I or someone else needs to use the entire desk.

Wow, a nice, clean work desk and even the computer corner has been tidied up. It hasn't looked like this in a long, long time! Even Bob was impressed.

This is first of my two most favorite things - I organized my cardstock drawer! The top drawer hold SU’s four color families, and the bottom drawer holds SU neutrals and non-SU cardstock.

Can you see the little box in the front? I ordered these great frosted plastic boxes from Oriental Trading and they are perfect for holding scrap cardstock pieces in the front of each color family. I also use them to hold my Nesties and up to 12 Cuttlebug embossing folders.

This is the second of my two most favorite things – these great little 2-drawer storage units on clearance at Mike’s, which I topped with a piece of leftover MDF. They hold double-sided adhesives, packs of brads, pearls, and assorted bling, and assorted tiny paper flowers, plus the top keeps other frequently used items at my fingertips but off my work surface. I’m going back today for 3 more!

My Copics are in the floral box, and all my punches are in the spinny thing under the desk. Bob has promised that we will put up the Bygel rails on the naked side wall this week to hold the punches, and I’m thinking of storing my Copics in the bins that work with the Bygel rails. IKEA, here I come!

Under my desk in the 3-drawer unit, I keep my Crop-a-Dile and sheets of pop-dots in the top drawer, my embossing powders and heat tool in the middle drawer, and the dies, embossing folders, and plates for my Cuttlebug in the bottom drawer. Those clear 12x12 cases hold alterables and non-card projects, and the top bin holds all the fabulous card kits I received from my swap!

Finally, my magazine storage area is much more organized and will soon be full of color. I’m decorating the fronts with floral and striped DP in my fav combo of pinks, greens, and white (you saw them on the IKEA tray) and I’ll add scalloped tags with the contents to the front of each. I'll post a pic of that when I get it done later this week.

WHEW! I must tell you that I actually took a vacation day on Friday to get this done! I just needed an entire day of uninterrupted work to sort through everything and organize it in a way that worked better for me. Before, every time I walked into that room, it was so depressing and shouted about the total lack of attention I’ve been able to give to my house over these last few months. Now that the room has been purged of useless stuff and reorganized in a more useable way, I am completely renewed and can already feel the creative juices flowing again!

I can’t wait to start working on Catherine’s somethin’ somethin’ for her space, and what’s really cool is that I’ll get to give it to her in person on Saturday when we meet up for a day of talking, eating, and shopping, of course! Thanks again, hun, for motivating me to stop complaining about my room and instead, taking control of it!

I’m always looking for creative ideas that you’ve found to help you organize your space, so please share your favorite suggestions in your comments! Thanks for stopping by and hope you have a great day!

Happy Creating!
Susan

Craft Room Catastrophe!

2009-08-09T08:07:00.037-04:00

So, Catherine and I were chit-chatting on the phone the other night (can a 2-1/2 hour conversation be considered a chat?), and one topic we comiserated about was our unorganized craft spaces. And the other day I was lamenting in the Sisterhood that I suspect my mojo is lost somewhere beneath all the clutter, because it's been MIA for a while.

The next thing I know, Catherine challenges me to a craft room organization smackdown! To decline would hide my clutter secret from the world but could send my mojo farther into the dark abyss of self-doubt. To accept could bring me great shame but give my mojo hope and bring it back to the light of creativity. I must save my mojo . . . Catherine, I accept your challenge! Let the shame begin!

Warning: The pictures you are about to see may cause you to gasp in horror!

Clutter, clutter, EVERYWHERE . . . and an ironing board to boot!

I'm really not sure what's in all the boxes and bags to the left of my stamp storage hutch. And you can't help but notice the still-naked walls. DH has yet to put up my shelves and Bygel rails, so my punches are thrown into a plastic box on the tall narrow shelf unit.

OMGosh, this picture really makes me cringe!!

My dear friend Beth got me that cool spinny organization unit under my desk, and usually my adhesives, sponges, and various other things are neatly tucked into those compartments. But now it's just all wonkly and stuff is mish-mashed together in the bins. Or not.

Wait a minute -- these aren't mine.

Nor are these . . .

OR THESE!

What's that Lila? You say they belong to The Girl? Hmm, Stephanie has some explaining to do.

I'm not sure what's going on over here. I really wanted to organize all my card magazines, catalogs, and other resources. Oh, they're in those files; I just don't know what is where. And all this white is B-O-R-I-N-G! I *must* do something with those magazine holders.

And it seems that a clean surface just attracts stuff. Can someone please tell me where this Christmas ornament and green pail came from?

So there you have my catastrophic cluttered craft room. How did my room get this way and what happened to my vision of decorating in soft shabby chic style? Garage construction happened, that's what. *sigh*

Catherine and I have until next Sunday to get things back in order and post our pics on our blogs. So, what do we get for all this public humiliation and effort? Hopefully, well-organized craft spaces, my craft mojo rejuvenated (hers is just fine), and an altered organization somethin' from each other. Stay tuned!

Happy Creating!

Susan

Stars & Stripes Forever!

2009-07-04T21:28:00.018-04:00

Happy Independence Day! I hope everyone is having a safe and happy 4th of July weekend! As happens every year, we are surrounded this evening by the flashes and colors and sounds of pyrotechnics exploding all around us. Several of our neighbors put on quite the show, and every year it gets a little better!

Over in the Sisterhood, patriotism was running wild, as our hostess Catherine challenged us to design a card using the colors of our country. I know, it's July and I'm posting June's card. What can I say? Nothing, other than that I'm really happy with the way these turned out!

I found the layout idea when leafing through the 2006-07 SU catty for some inspiration. The Not Quite Navy bases were a perfect match for the DP by Helen Dardik for Creative Imaginations, and I just love the shimmery Ruby Jewel DP from The Paper Company on the flaps and center medallion layer.

The belly bands feature a medallion from scalloped and plain Nesties circles and "ribbons" I cut and layered from the DP. The sentiment was computer generated in NQN using a handy RGB/SU Colors Chart I found on SCS. I sponged the scalloped edges with Ruby Red, and added a silver star brad and silver flat-backs for some shine.

A Ruby Red-edged ivory circle hides inside the card behind the medallion for writing a sentiment. The finish it off, I Sakura silver dots to all the borders.

I really hope the gals who receive these like them! Several of the Sisters are from outside the States, so obviously they were encouraged to use their home country colors, and I'm hoping to get one of those in my returns. (hint, hint Catherine!)

Next time, I'll be posting some Rileys I colored up with my Copics for Father's Day cards, and will be looking for advice on that subject. *sigh*

Happy Creating!
Susan

Berry Cute!

2009-06-08T06:41:00.006-04:00

Yes, this strawberry is wearing a tux!! Isn't he the cutest?! In addition to her teaching gig and coaching figure skating and learn-to-hockey, The Daughter also works for an event planner, and she brought a few of these little guys home for me from a wedding on Saturday. They were almost too cute to eat! (Key word: almost. They were just as yummy as they are cute!) Hope this silly little post brought a smile to your Monday morning!

Happy Creating! - Susan

Bashful Baptism

2009-06-07T07:24:00.011-04:00

It's a beautiful Sunday morning here in southwestern PA, the kind for taking the coffee outside and sitting on the patio. But first . . .

Stephanie is attending the baptism of a wee baby boy today and asked me to make a quick card. I haven't mastered "quick" and "card" in the same sentence yet, so a little panic set in because my stamps collection is sorely lacking some nice inspirational sets and sentiments. Fortunately, I won the gorgeous Easter Blessings set at the Gina K Designs March release party on SCS, which features a beautiful cross among its images.

I stamped the cross in Bashful Blue on WW, then ran it through the Bug with an oval Nestie. I layered that over a BB scalloped oval Nestie, then applied these teeny tiny flat-back pearls using Crystal Effects, a toothpick, and tweezers.

(patience is a virtue)

I was going to emboss a WW panel with Swiss Dots to layer over the BB base, but then remembered I purchased a few sheets of beautiful printed vellum by Colorbok, just because it was pretty. I used a piece of sticky tape in the middle and added flat-back pearls to hide the CE that I used to anchor each corner. I wanted to raise the image panel, but my dimensionals were a little bit too thick, so a small piece of chipboard mounted under the oval was perfect.

A plain and simple card? Yes, but sometimes less is more. And The Daughter likes it, so that's *all* that matters. LOL!

Someday, *hopefully*, I'll learn the art of taking pictures indoors that will turn out "just right", in the early morning light, using my Ott light craft light (thanks Suzanne Dean for the tip!).

Well, it's time to take my coffee, along with the furry felines, outside to enjoy this glorious gift of a morning. Hope you all find time to relax and enjoy the little things today, too!

Happy Creating!

Susan

A Fairy Chloe Birthday!

2009-06-02T23:36:00.016-04:00

Let me apologize for the skewed colors in the photos included in this post. The lighting was just *awful* that day, and no matter where I moved in the house, I could not get a true picture! In real life, the colors go together quite nicely!

I made this whimsical card for my dear friend Gwen, whose birthday was on Monday. As is too often the case, we don't get to see each other very often, but we know that we are always thinking of each other and including our families in our prayers.

This is also my first TGF card! The uber-sweet and talented Kadie, the Mother Superior of The Sisterhood and also a DT member for The Greeting Farm, sent me some adorable Fairy Chloe images, along with a TGF stamp to be featured on a card here soon! {hugs}

After coloring Chloe with Prismas and applying some Stamping Bella shimmer on her wings, I cut her out and layered her over a punched DP scallop, a Rose Red circle, and a Lavender Lace scalloped Nestie, which were highlighted with Sakura pens.

The DP panel sits on a Swiss Dots embossed Rose Red panel, and for added layers, I cut out a large flower and some smaller flowers from the DP and popped them up on dimensionals. Some simple white satin ribbon and white Sakura dots around the border finish off the card. I really hope Gwen enjoys it!

Gwen and I met several years ago when she joined our office crew, and we eventually ended up sharing an office. I don't know what we did more: work or laugh! But life always offers up changes, and she decided it was time to move on last year. Turns out, she had a more important job in her future, as Grandma to adorable Cailyn, born 3 months premature last November. That little babe is a trooper, just like her mom and Grandma. She beat the odds in so many ways and is a true gift from God. Gwen and I also share a love for stamping, although we haven't had the chance just to spend hours doing that together for quite some time. I really miss her, and hope we'll be able to get together soon!

I must give some Woo-Hoo's to some Sisters! Mary was chosen for the Summer Gardener DT for The Greeting Farm and Lorie was chosen for the September-December DT for Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps! Congratulations! I am humbled to be in the midst of the serious talent over in The Sisterhood.

Garage update: After a one-week setback, the block guys have been here for two days and are making progress. by tomorrow, it will actually look like something!

Happy Creating!
Susan

A Sweet Surprise!

2009-05-30T19:27:00.022-04:00

The lovely Kelly was the hostess for May's Sisterhood swap. Her challenge was for us to create cards that represented the sweetness of the Sisters and that gave a hint at a surprise inside. I wanted to do something with the "Sweet Stuff" lollipop stamp from SU's Very Punny set, so I hopped over to the SCS Resources to look for something to hold a sweet surprise. That's where I found this awesome Free Standing Pop-Up Card.

I stamped flowers in Versamark on the outside of the Regal Rose cards and punched scallops for the front and tag from the yummy Berry Sweet DP by K&Company. The lollipops were stamped on DP and cut out for some more color, and this pink-and-green stitched ribbon coordinated perfectly.

The tag sentiment was punched from the center of a stamp from SU's So Many Scallops, and a lime green grommet holds the scallop to the Swiss Dots embossed panel.

To open them, simply hold the base, pull the tag, and TA-DA!

It's the sweet surprise!

I really liked making these cards and hope the Sisters who get them enjoy opening them!

Happy Creating!
Susan

It's Five O'Clock Somewhere!!!

2009-05-20T06:34:00.013-04:00

Earlier this year when I was lamenting that I overcommitted on card swaps and was not signing up for any more, what do you think I did? Yes, I signed up for another one. I had no choice....the theme is one of my favorite mantras to get me through a crazy workday: It's Five O'Clock Somewhere!

So here you have the card I made for Viv's (SCS=blusky) It's Five O'Clock Somewhere! card swap. At first I was feeling all retro: think Rat Pack music & martinis & white pleather & chrome. But as the weather warmed up and the days got longer, the tropical feel took over! I must admit that I have yet to meet an Umbrella Drink that I don't like! LOL!!!

The card base is SU Chocolate Chip, and I used the same wonderful palm-leaf textured DP that I used on my Cup of Tea card. When I spied a stack of woven summer place mats on my monthly walk-thru the dollar store, I knew I had to incorporate them into the card. The hardest part was that after cutting the mat pieces, I had to remove some pieces from each end, then carefully wrap the threads around to the back and secure them with uber-sticky-tape so the mats wouldn't fall apart. (I already made a mental note: no more woven placemats)

The Studio G drink images are stamped on WW and colored with Prisma pencils. (In hindsight I wish I had coated each drink in Crystal Effects or Glassy Glaze.) For fun umbrellas, I stamped them on some colorful K&Company Berry Sweet DP, then cut and glued them on the drinks. I finished by adding strips of colorful craft store ribbon adhered with a brad on each end. (Happy to report that I lost only one umbrella in the process of cutting out 21 drinks and 21 umbrellas!)

I hope Viv and the gals who receive them feel the tropical vibe! Oh by the way, the drinks are supposed to be Joe's Crab Shack Swamp Water, a sweet, murky-green, melon-y drink perfect for summer! You can find the recipe online - give it a try!

Happy Creating!

Susan

Don't Look Now, But It's A Blog Post!

2009-05-18T22:53:00.015-04:00

WOW! It's been 7 weeks since my last post! *sheesh* What can I say? Life's little things get in the way of blogging and creating and facebooking and . . . . *sigh*. At least the excavation for our new garage is finally under way.

Look what I got for my anniversary:
A big pit and HUGE piles of earth everywhere!

Wow, Bob sure looks happy with his anniversary present! He's standing in what will be his future 24x24 workshop, below the actual car garage. (He'd be really happy if Drew, our contractor, would let him run that HUGE piece of equipment!)

They did pour the footer today and the block guys should be here this week, so soon it will actually look like something. And I must admit, it will be so nice having a warm, dry, non-snow-and-ice-covered car this winter!

Enough of that.....I actually have a card to post! It's from April's Sisterhood Swap on SCS, but it's a card nonetheless. The wonderful Judy was our hostess for April, and she chose a very appropriate theme of green/recycling in honor of Arbor Day. Our challenge was to create a "green" card by incorporating recycled materials and by using the color green on our cards. So can you guess what is recycled on my card?

I made the card bases from recycled cardboard boxes that hold our office envelopes. The ivory layer, the image squares, and the sentiment pieces are all cut from used manila folders destined for the trash. I stamped up the "summer" tree from SU's cute set, A Tree for All Seasons, and decided to color just one with my Prismas for a little more impact. I distressed the edges of the base and the manila pieces, because when I folded the cardboard bases, the fold was a little rough. My "brads" are actually punched from recycled cork coasters, and I added natural hemp twine as an accent. The sentiment, "He who plants a tree, plants a hope" is from a SeeD's set. I've used this once before, but I thought it was really appropriate for the spirit of the theme.

I just love the recycled paper that I found at the dollare store featuring real leaves! Everyone else must have loved it, too, because after searching in vain, I was told that this was the last pack in the store. You can see the actual leaves in this picture!

So I hope the gals who received them like them and can feel the Arbor Day theme in this card. It was a fun challenge and made me realize there are a lot of materials right at our fingertips every day that can end up in a recycling center, a landfill, or even on a card....the choice is ours! So try to think a little "greener", and the next time you're stumped for something to use on a card, think outside the box. Or maybe inside the recycling bin!

Happy Creating!
Susan

Tropical Delight?

2009-03-30T12:15:00.008-04:00

This is the card I made for the March Sisterhood of the Traveling Cards swap, hosted this month by Jeanette (ForestRanger). The theme was travel and vacation, and while I was going to do some old-world looking European kind of card, I really wanted to use my new Rileys and honestly, I can't think of a better place to go than somewhere tropical.

All the cardstock colors were based on the slightly tropical DP. It really is tropical when you're looking at the whole sheet, but the small pieces don't do it justice. The card base is Old Olive, and the background layer of Pumpkin Pie is stamped with a hibiscus flower stamp in PP.

I colored Riley using my Prismas, and I cut out the tops of the palms from Old Olive for a little more effect. That piece is layered on an Old Olive oval Nestie, then secured with orange brads. Finally, I added orange dots to that mat and to the card base.

So, what do you think? While I like the combination of colors, I am not happy with this at all, especially since it is going to The Sisterhood gals.

This card is not supposed to look like this and could have been so much better. I started out using a sketch challenge layout, but I cut the background DP pieces too small and they would have been completely hidden behind the 3 blue-matted DP rectangles (yep, there were supposed to be 3). Well, that caused me to rethink the whole layout. And of course, once again, I was making this under the wire of the deadline, so I had to work with what I had on hand.

And my Riley coloring just stinks. I think I am going to bite the bullet and start investing in Copics. Yeah, they're expensive at the outset, but they are refillable -- and that's the justification I'm using for the cost!

*sigh* I just hope that whoever receives these likes them.

Hope you all have a fun day stamping, scrapping, or doing whatever makes you happy! Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Creating!
Susan

What's New Pussycat?

2009-03-29T12:24:00.011-04:00

This is the card I made for my second spot in Paola's (Sama) What Music/Song Are You? swap over on SCS. I was listening to an Internet radio station while I was *trying* (unsuccessfully) to catch up on swap threads and saw that she had just one more spot to fill before she left for a much-needed two-week vacation to Mexico. Remember, she is The Temptress and I cannot tell her no. Plus, her surrogate hostess, Jeanette (ForestRanger) was also issuing pleas to fill the spot, so of course, I took it. After all, I couldn't have Paola wondering for two weeks if her swap was full. LOL!

At that moment, Tom Jones was belting out What's New Pussycat? and for some reason, SU's Cool Cat popped into my mind. I hadn't used it for a loooong time and figured it would be easy enough to pull something together, right? Wrong. My card-making mojo was tapped, so off I went to Mike's for inspiration. I tend to shy away from brighter colors, but I really liked the shades of blue and green in this patterned paper -- they reminded me of Kelly (MiamiKel4) because she loves bright colors and uses them so well in her cards. It was almost as if she were saying, "Go for it, Sus!" So I bought it, in honor of Kelly, because she's so bright and sunny!

I stamped Cool Cat in Tempting Turquoise on WW (yes, Kelly, I *actually* own Bold Brights Stampin' Spots), added some sparkly Sakura dots to her collar, and gave her eyes, ears, and nose some color with Prisma pencils. Then I cut her out and popped her up on dimensionals. (I'm happy to say that no whiskers nor tails were lost!) I prefer using something other than Whisper White for card bases, but nothing else really worked without taking away from the DP. The Caribbean blue CS that I used for the base mat & Nesties came from my daughter's old cheerleading scrapbook stash. I added white dots to all the mats with a Sakura pen for some definition.

The sentiment was computer generated on WW, but I was at a loss for embellishments. I tried brads, dew drops, ribbon - nothing felt *sassy* enough. Then I saw those tassels I bought for no other reason than that they were on clearance. Sassy! (SEE? Eventually, all of that stuff we buy for no reason *will* find a purpose!)

So what do you think? I'm satisfied -- but not thrilled -- with the results. I hope that Paola and the recipients will be happy with them -- that's all that matters to me!

Finally! My last March swap commitment will be postal tomorrow (Priority, of course) then I can breathe. I enjoy swapping but I totally over-committed myself for March. I'm anxious to start learning new techniques to use in my card-making and to get working on those scrapbooks for my daughter. She's only 25, you know; maybe I'll get them done before she's 30.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Creating!
Susan

Anytime You Need A Friend Bellas!

2009-03-28T09:32:00.010-04:00

This is the card I made for my first spot in my friend Paola's What Song/Music Are You? swap over on SCS. It was a no-brainer that I would take a spot, because she is, after all, The Temptress, and you just can't tell her no. LOL! After whirling around TONS of song titles and styles in my head, I heard Anytime You Need A Friend by Mariah Carey one morning and just *knew* that was the song! I have met a group of caring, funny, supportive, wonderfully talented gals on SCS -- affectionately called The Sisterhood -- who are always there, giving support and a shoulder when life seems too heavy to bear, and giving cheers and high-fives when life gives reasons to celebrate, and for everything else in between. This card is dedicated to *each and every one* of you gals in The Sisterhood. Even though we're miles away, I'm by your side.

I was at a loss for what image to use because this song is not what I originally had in mind. So I went surfing -- I really wanted to use HuggyBella, but don't own the stamp. *light bulb moment* I'll ask the Sisters--they have everything! And of course, the wonderful Jeanette came through and stamped me up some images, which I colored with Prismas and blended with baby oil.

I used SCS sketch challenge SC105 for the layout. I find that is the first place I go when I'm getting ready to make some cards. I figure, why reinvent the wheel when there are over 200 great layouts at my fingertips?

The card base and mats are SU Going Grey. The flowered SU DP circle was cut with my Nestie, but the GG mat was cut by hand with scissors! (note to self: add a circle cutter to shopping list) I bought the SU DP last month from a "cash & carry" table, but I don't know what it's called. A simple cream satin ribbon was just enough to finish the circle. I just think this pink and gold background DP is to die for!! There were only 2 sheets left and I had no idea how I would use it, but I just had to have it. Turns out it matches really well with the flowered DP!

I created the sentiment on my PC and printed it on Whisper White, then added gold brads to tie it in to the background DP. For the inside message panel, I printed "I will be here" on WW.

I like the way these turned out and hope Paola and the recipients like them too. I wish I had enough of that pink & gold DP to make one for every Sister.

Anytime you need a friend

I will be here.

You'll never be alone again

So don't you fear.

Even if you're miles away

I'm by your side.

Don't you ever be lonely

Love will make it alright.

May I ask all of you SU demos out there for a favor? Would you please tell the SU Powers-That-Be that customers want the option to purchase 8.5x11 Going Grey cardstock in individual packs? I know I am not the only one who loves this color - it is the perfect medium grey shade. I am sad and disappointed to find that the only way I can get it is 6 sheets at a time in the Neutrals assortment. I would really appreciate it!

Tomorrow, I'll post Card #2 and the reason I took a second spot for Paola's swap. Hope you all have a great Saturday!

Happy Creating!

Susan

My Cup of Tea!

2009-03-27T20:47:00.008-04:00

I made this card for my friend Tanja's Coffee & Tea card swap. Tanja had my name in our Secret Sister holiday swap and among all the wonderful prezzies she sent me (including delicious teas!) was a cute tea-theme stamp set by Hero Arts. She's a sneaky one, that Tanja, because not too long after that, she announced her swap. How could I say no?

I had *a lot* of fun making these and really like the way they turned out! I used SCS sketch challenge SC165 for the layout, and the floral DP made it easy to pick the other colors. The Ruby Red panel was embossed using the Floral Screen folder, and I just love the green patterned DP. I think they are palm fronds, but regardless, I think it worked really well with this card. The teacup was colored with Prismas & baby oil, then cut and popped on dimensionals. I added dark brown dots to the scalloped Nestie mats, and sponged the image and sentiment panels with Old Olive.

So how do you like the little tea bags? I stamped them in Chocolate Chip on an unbleached coffee filter, and cut through a double layer, then I stuffed them with a bit of cotton ball to make them look full. Once again, my daughter thinks I am slowly going over the edge. LOL!!

This was Tanja's first time hostessing a swap, and with over 70 swappers, I can't imagine what it will look like when she gets down to the business of swapping them out!

This has been a long week for me, for no particular reason, and I am so glad it's Friday! It seems like the early spring germs are flying around everywhere. Three of my co-workers are really sick, and now my hubby has come down with what appears to be the flu. Being around all of these germs certainly must have turned me into a giant incubator. Ewww, the thought makes me unhappy. The daughter is away for the weekend, so maybe she will stay healthy. Question is, will I? I have been freezing for the past 5 hours and not feeling quite right -- not sick, just not right. Hopefully, it's just from being overtired. I'll just keep drinking my OJ, washing my hands, and popping the extra Vitamin C.

Tomorrow, I'll post one of my music cards for Paola's swap. Card #1 was a cinch; Card #2 was a challenge. Hope you're healthy and warm in your corner of the world!

Happy Creating!
Susan

StampTV and Catharsis

2009-03-22T09:42:00.006-04:00

I have to give a shout out to GinaK's StampTV because I learned something *so basic* over there that I would not have done on my own that is going to help me immensely with my Nesties! StampTV offers high-quality video tutorials by Gina showing new techniques and revisiting some old favorites. It's also a social networking place to hang out, make some friends, share your creations, enter some challenges, and download freebies, like beautiful digi papers! So take a few minutes to check it out -- like me, you might pick up something that will be really helpful in your papercrafting or a new technique to try.

So, what did I learn that was so earth-shaking for using my Nesties in the 'Bug?? I've been using the same *sandwich recipe* since I bought my first set of Nesties, which instructed placing the die ridge-side *up* on C plate, covering with the cardstock image piece, then placing the B plate on top. Doing this forced me to have to carefully place the image over the die and tightly hold the sandwich together while flipping the whole thing over to make sure it was placed correctly. Frustrating and time consuming, right?? Well, it was a total *DUH* moment for me when I watched Gina using the plates in reverse order, which allows you to see your image through the Nestie die for perfect placement! She didn't even mention the way she did this because it's so common sense that she didn't have to, and I'm *sure* everyone else already figured this out on their own as well. BUT, the orignal sandwich recipe that I found somewhere was so ingrained in me that I would not have realized to do this had I not watched this video. So that was my Aha! moment for the weekend! LOL!!!

Well, I did finish several cards this week, but I haven't had access to the digital camera nor the time to post them even if I did. My sisters & I have been helping my Dad go through Mum's things. It's been hard, and looking through everything provided moments of laughter, tears, reflection, and warm fuzzies that proved to be very cathartic for me, and I believe for my Dad as well. He and Mum have been talking for years about "purging" the stash of things they've accumulated during 58 years of marriage. One stash in particular affected me the most: Mum liked to sew (she would make us the prettiest dresses, especially velvet ones for Christmas) and she had a penchant for fabric -- calicos, gabardines, velvets, wool plaids, flannels, cottons, linens, and let's not forget the wild poly prints of the 70's! She had totes and boxes of it, ready to go "just in case" she or someone else needed it for a project.

I held my breath as we opened each tote and box -- would time or moths or *gasp* mildew have taken their toll? We were thrilled and amazed that all of it was in perfect condition, and the sights of all the colors and patterns and textures was like being in a fabric store! We would remember particular dresses or projects that she made with a certain piece of fabric, and wondered what she originally had in store for the rest of it. I could have kept it all, folded and on display decorating my craft room. But practicality set in, so instead, my middle sis and I kept some to actually use (where IS my sewing machine anyway?) and we're donating the rest to a couple who makes mission trips to South America with their church, he to build and teach the village men carpentry skills and she to teach village women how to sew so they can make clothes as well as textiles for the home. I think Mum would approve, don't you?

Today, I'm off to A Choclate Sunday, a local fundraiser for American Heart Association that features culinary chefs, pastry chefs, and local chocolatiers offering up creations from appetizers to main courses to desserts, all creatied using cocoa or chocolate as an ingredient. I haven't eaten chocolate for 2 weeks in preparation for this event! LOL!!! Hope you're all enjoying a beautiful Sunday!

Happy Creating!
Susan

Color Chart Craziness!

2009-03-16T06:43:00.003-04:00

I was wandering around over on SCS one day last week, looking for an excuse to do something other than laundry, when I stumbled upon this thread by elizgmom called SU Color Chart Craziness. Holy canolis! She compiled an *amazing* color cross-reference Excel spreadsheet from various sources on SCS that (and I quote) "contains the SU color name, the RBG code, the DMC floss #, the Prismacolor pencil #, the Copic Marker #, and the CTMH name if available." WOW!!! What a valuable resource!! Thanks elizgmom!! If you don't have Excel, post a comment here and I'll create a PDF to open in Adobe Reader. And if you're not familiar with Excel, don't let that keep you away; you'll find some printing tips on posts #6 and #21 in that thread.

I hope to have my card for Tanja's coffee & tea swap posted tonight. I have been preoccupied with our garage construction project that's in the works. Contractors, zoning requirements, financing, permits, plan revisions---cross your fingers, because everything gets submitted for approval later this week.

I have other several swaps' cards in stages of creation to be completed this week. I totally overcommitted myself for March, but I am seeing the light at the end of this tunnel. Although I think making all these cards one after another is helping my card-making mojo. In my opinion anyway.

Happy Creating!
Susan

Tasseled Bella, Game Winners, and An Award!

2009-03-07T16:22:00.012-05:00

Wow, there is a lot being covered in this one post!! First the Bella ...

Lattebella is ready for spring, so she put on a perky pink top and soft yellow trousers to enjoy a latte at her favorite spot! The image was colored with Prismas and blended with baby oil, then I added some sparkle to her hair and cup flowers' centers with a Sakura Clear Star pen.

The card base is Pretty in Pink and layered with a So Saffron panel that I ran through the 'Bug using D'Vine Swirls. The pretty DP is from the 6x6 Basic Grey Sugared pack that Tanja sent me. LOVE the colors in this pack - baby pinks, honey golds, moss greens, paprika reds, dark chocolate browns - yummy!

I was going to add clear rhinestones to the Nestie panel corners, but suddenly remembered I have a Crop-A-Dile, still in the package!! Why I waited so long to try it, I cannot answer; but I'll be using it again ... soon. It still needed something; ribbon perhaps. Then I remembered that I had all these little tassels I found in a clearance bin somewhere, so I decided to try one out and liked it! Finally, I added some more sparkle by outlining the Nestie shapes and mats with the Sakura, then added dots to the card base border. YESSS! Another birthday card done!

On to the game winners ... the "winners" of my You Need! game are Karen, Lindalee, Mary, and Michelle!! WOO-HOO!! It was a no-brainer really; you 4 were the only ones to comment. It's okay, really. I don't judge myself by the number of comments left on my blog posts! LOL! So let me know what you want - an altered somethin' for your craft space or a crocheted scarf - and include your color choice(s) from SU color families. I'll have 'em done by the end of March.

Finally, the sweet and beautiful Kelly gave me this cute award! You warm my heart, too, Kelly!!

Well, I have more than 10 people to bestow this award upon, so all you STC Sisters, here you go! Grab it up and pass it on to those who warm your heart!

I'm off to work on some swap cards for the rest of the day. Hope you're enjoying your weekend so far!

Happy Creating!

Susan

A Tilda for Paula

2009-03-05T11:52:00.011-05:00

I made this Tilda card for my oldest sister, Paula, whose birthday is on Saturday. I have another older sister, Mary, but her birthday isn't until December. Ahhh, to always be the youngest, although I can't believe we are as old as we are. *sigh*

Paula likes turquoise-y colors, so I used this pretty plaid ribbon for the color inspiration for her card. The ribbon actually has an orange-y stripe through it, but I still think it looks good with the SU Real Red and Turquoise mats. The white embossed card base is from a dollar pack I found at Mike's, complete with envies! (I *knew* I should have bought more--of course, they're all gone now.) The DP is from a SU 6x6 prints pack that my demo found for me. (I've asked her to keep her eyes peeled for any retired or extra 6x6 packs she might come across!)

After coloring and cutting out Tilda, I popped her up on the teal Nestie oval, then layered that on the scalloped oval. I love adding contrasting dots (ala Markie's Mom) or punching holes in the scallops; I just think it adds something. And of course, I had to add a flower; the red & white I picked up at my LSS and the turquoise was from Kadie.

I decided to jazz up the inside, so I layered Whisper White on Real Red, then added a little tab of ribbon, and stamped "happy joyful birthday" from an SU set that I can't remember the name of. (it's not crooked; it just looks that way in the pic).

I know she will love this because she appreciates the work and thought that goes into handmade items. I've been trying to get her to come over to make cards with me. But she lives 3 hours away, and when she's in to visit, she usually has a full schedule of running around and shopping and such. She lives in the beautiful mountains of Central PA, but there are no malls there, and I live in a sort of shopping Mecca, so she likes to shop when she's here! Maybe we'll be able to set aside a couple hours of card making when she's here for my Dad's birthday in a few weeks.

Oh, don't forget to go to this post to tell me what you "need" and what you'd like to receive from me if you're chosen. You have until March 6 midnight to enter, and I'll draw 5 winners on Saturday morning.

Happy Creating!

Susan

My First Tilda!

2009-03-04T11:49:00.010-05:00

As much as I'm lovin' Bella, I think I'm lovin' Tilda just as much!! Bella is sexy and Tilda is adorable! I don't own any, but I received some images through a swap and the kindness of some of my STC sisters.

I don't know which Tilda this is, but I love how she is catching the falling stars. Most would probably use her for Christmas, but I used her for another birthday card. I used my Prismacolors and blended with baby oil. My coloring is still rusty; I think the problem is that I'm afraid to apply *too* much color? And I'm not sure I colored her *the way she should be colored* but I like it.

This card went together fast, I think because I love the colors in the Addison DP by K&Company. It made it easy to choose the soft yellow DCWV textured stock for the base and the square of soft shimmery gold vellum for some contrast for the Nestie scalloped DP circle.

I'm also into using flowers a lot more lately, I think because they fill a void that I sometimes have trouble, well, filling. These were gifts from my STC sisters Karen & Kadie, and I added some dew drops for the centers. For a little more sparkle, I went over the stars and stardust trails with a Sakura teal pen. Finally, I used the SU corner punch for the plaid photo corners. What do you think?

I was going to add something else, but couldn't decide what, so I thought I should leave well enough alone. Ooo, I am *craving* ideas of what some of YOU would have added! Please include some ideas in your comment!

I'm working on another Tilda card for my sister, Paula, whose birthday is Saturday, and hope to have that finished tonight. I found gorgeous ribbon at Big Lots (7 yards for a buck!) that was my color inspiration. I have *so* many people in my life with February and March birthdays -- then a dry spell -- but I'm going to keep cranking them out so I can get ahead!

I also wanted to say thanks for commenting on my creations here. I really do enjoy this craft and have learned SO much from SO many of you! Your talents motivate and inspire me, and your kind words give me the warm fuzzies! And everyone could use more warm fuzzies, don't you think?

Hope you have a sunny, happy day creating!

Happy Creating!
Susan

Cheers!

2009-03-03T12:40:00.005-05:00

I am finally getting caught up on my birthday cards!! I am *so* far behind, BUT I do see the light at the end of the tunnel, and that is a good thing. By the weekend, I plan to be *ahead* of schedule, which is an even better thing!

I am hooked on Bellas right now. For this card, I chose Cosmobella - mmmm, cosmos! (is it 5 o'clock yet? somewhere . . . )

Once again, I used a sheet from the the fun DP pack that Lorie sent me--love it! The card base is Pretty in Pink and the mats are Perfectly Plum. I ran a piece of Pretty in Pink through the 'Bug using Lots of Dots, then clear embossed it for a little pop. The sentiment is stamped in Elegant Eggplant and framed in some HodgePodge Hardware. Oh, and I had to add a few of my new fav embellishments -- rain dots!!

It is a *gloriously* sunny day here in Western PA! Looks like you could walk outside without a coat . . . but you can't! It was 10 degrees when I woke up this morning, and it *might* be 20 now. I am so ready for spring!! Hope it's bright and sunny in your corner of the world!

Happy Creating!

Susan

You Need . . . !

2009-03-01T09:49:00.005-05:00

My friend Karen is playing a little game on her blog that I thought I would do over here too. More on that in a minute.

What caught my eye was a post she had about Googling to find out just what you need. Who knew it was so simple??? Just Google "your name needs" (ie "susan needs") and be prepared for the amazing and sometimes scary things that you need!

Here are just a few of what Susan needs:
- all your love and money - Okay!
- to stop complaining - Hmmm
- to do more housework - DUH!
- animals - What??
- to take penicillin for the rest of her life - YIKES!!

Back to the blog game. The blog game is that you make and share things with 5 people who post to your blog.

There are rules, but like Karen, I've tweaked the rules a bit:

1 - I make no guarantees that you will like what I make.

2 - What I create will be just for you, but you can give it away if you choose.

3 - It'll be done before the end of March.

4 - You *can* choose what you want it to be.

5 - Share the love!

What do you get? Well, I don't have a lot to offer, but the winners can choose from:

- An altered somethin' somethin' for your stampin' space!

- A hand-crocheted scarf!

Winners can choose their colors from Stampin Up color families, just so that I have a guideline.

To enter, just Google your needs and post a comment here with your favorite "need" and your choice of what you'd like to receive from me. If you post a link to this game on your blog, you'll get another entry. If you become a blog follower of mine, you'll get another entry. If you add my blog to your blogs list, you'll get another entry. Be sure to make a new post for each entry.

Post by Friday, March 6. I'll draw 5 winners on Saturday, March 7.

I can't wait to see what everyone needs!! Now, I just have to go figure out why I need to take penicillin the rest of my life.....I probably contract something from all of those animals running around!!!

Happy Creating!
Susan

Mardi Gras Cards!

2009-02-27T12:35:00.007-05:00

I know, I know ... Mardi Gras was three days ago (gee, my birthday was on Fat Tuesday--how appropriate LOL) But I didn't have these quite tweaked yet, so here they are now.

For the February STC swap, Mary challenged us to make Mardi Gras cards. I had this vision in my brain of how I wanted the finished cards to look. This isn't quite it, but I think they're okay.

The masks are made from sticky-back purple velvet stock. I printed the mask template, stuck them to the back, cut them out, then ran them through the "Bug in the Textile Texture embossing folder. I went over the raised parts with a gold Stardust pen, but the velvet sucked up the ink, so they're not quite as sparkly as I would like.

The little bells on organza strips were actually cut from ponytail holders that I found at Pat Catans craft store! I cut strips of gold and cream organza ribbon and attached all of that to the back of the mask with several dimensional glue dots. (I really hope they stick!!!)

To make the bases for the masks, I cut and wove thin strips of green shiny origami paper, and layered gold and black cardstock cut from the Nesties Labels 2 (I think) dies. Not as time consuming as you would think, really! I wanted it to be puffy, like a pillow, but couldn't figure out how to accomplish that.

The gold background was run through the 'Bug with the D'Vine Swirl embossing folder. I added a layer of black ribbon, then a strip of purple shiny origami paper for a little more color.

My daughter thinks I totally lost my mind making these cards, and I must admit, I put way more time into these than I usually do. But I like the end result, and it does my mind some good to be challenged a little more than usual every now and then. But not *too* often . . .

Happy Creating!

Susan

I {Heart} My Friends!

2009-02-25T11:49:00.011-05:00

Have I ever told you that I am blessed with wonderful friends??

My wonderful friends who are here "in person", we don't get to see each other as much as we'd like. Each year, we say "we are going to have to do this more often" but as we all know, life happens and derails even the best plans. But we exchange our warm fuzzies in person when we can, and when we can't, then we do it via email or a phone call or a note.

My wonderful friends who are my STC Sisters, I haven't met yet, but we're hoping & hoping that will happen soon!! BUT the warm fuzzies I get from them are just as warm and fuzzy as if they were right here with me!

Well, yesterday was my 45th birthday and I just wanted to say THANKS FOR ALL THE BIRTHDAY WARM FUZZIES EVERYONE {mwah} {mwah} {hugs}

And yesterday, my dear friend Beth shows up at my office with birthday surprises! She made me a gorgeous card, brought me beautiful roses, AND made me Birthday Banana Pudding!

She remembered that I said in passing that I love my Aunt Aggie's banana pudding, so she made me my very own batch! Is that not the sweetest?? It was a rough morning for me -- my first birthday without my Mum -- and to know that she took time out of her life to make me something special and stop by to see me, well, gee, I'm getting all teary-eyed again.

I was just so excited that I had to share it with you too!!

I hope all of you are as blessed as I am with wonderful friends in your life too!! Remember, it's the quality, not the quantity, that counts!!! Until later,
Happy Creating!
Susan