You're Purr-fect!

(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

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!

Hello! Remember Me?

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! :-)

The KitCats Are Hittin' The Beach, Cheeky Style!

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!

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!

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!

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

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!

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!

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!

It's Snowing in the Sisterhood!

(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!

Jesus Is The Reason For The Season!

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 :-)

For My Far-Away Friend

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!

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!

Lighthouse for Dad

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!

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!

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!

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)

When You Least Expect It...

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...

LOVE ME DO! Stamping Bella Blog Hop

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