Congratulations Mikaela!!!

For my daughter, Mikaela.  She graduates from Massage Therapy School this evening!  We are so proud of her=)  She's juggled school, a job, two lil' ones and managed to keep up excellent grades!  Congratulations Sugar!

 

For my card I used Card Patterns 146.  I stamped Diplomabella in Memento Ink on Neenah, coloring with Copics.  I used Stickles and Smooch to embellish the flowers, cap, tassel, and diploma.  Then fussy cut her out and put her on pop dots.  Crumb Cake, Lucky Limeade, Black, and BG Origins Paper.  Nesties, SU Photo Corner Punch, Buttons, and Twine.  Sentiment from Stamping Bella.

On a side note...see my post below...I won the Christmas Day Give Away challenge!!!  I couldn't believe it!  I screamed and ran through the house like a mad woman doing the happy dance when I saw my name!  I was shocked!  Thank-you so very much to Jen and also the sponsors!!!

Thank-you for stopping by.  Have a great evening!

Praying for Paula...

I made this card for our friend Paula who is undergoing brain surgery today.  Please keep her in your prayers.

My card is for this month's SFYTT.  I am proud to say that I have completed the year long monthly sketch challenges!!!  Yay!

I started off stamping PI Better Get Better in Memento Ink on Neenah coloring with Copics.  I paper pieced her dress and stamped the bear again and cut him out to give him a little more dimension.  Wild Wasabi, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, and EP Holly Jolly Christmas Paper.  Die-namics, buttons, and twine.   

Thank-you Jen for all the fun sketches you put together for us this last year.  I always look forward to the first Saturday of each month to see what you came up with=)  I'm looking forward to seeing what you have planned for 2012!  Here's my entries for the last year...

January

February

March

April (forgot to add sketch with post, sorry!)
May
June
July (forgot to add sketch with post again, sorry!)
August (2 months in a row, sheesh, I'm a slacker!)
September
October
November

Thank-you so much for stopping by.  I hope you are having a wonderful day.

 

Group Hug...

I'm way on a time crunch, I thought I had 2 hours and 10 mins to post, turns out I have 10 min, eeek...should pay attention to the time zone posted!  This is for Bellarific Friday's Challenge, a sketch challenge and Christmas Card Challenges #2 doodling...
Ok, that's it for me, gotta upload!

Thank-you Stephanie...

Whew, there's been lots of activity going on in my neighborhood the last 12 hours...since I'm a light sleeper, I didn't sleep but 2 hours last night and won't be able to sleep until the helicopter has stopped searching.  I hope it ends soon!
Well, lets move onto more cheerful subjects...  I made this for our book club hostess, Stephanie.  I wanted to thank her for opening up her home to everyone on Sunday=)

So...as I'm posting my card I realize this is my first time playing along in a Kraftin' Kimmie Challenge.  Gasp, I know!  This week is a sketch challenge.  I started off stamping Lucy in Memento Ink on Neenah, coloring with Copics, adding some Smooch to her pillow.  Black and BG Out of Print Paper, Tim Holtz Scattered Straw Distress Ink, Nessties, Die-namics, SU Photo Corner Punch, Ribbon, and Rhinestones. 

I hope ya'll have a great day!

The Christmas Cookie Club...

So, I joined a book club last month=)  I'm happy to get back into reading.  Our pick was The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman.  We decided to do a cookie exchange along with the book club meeting.  I won't go into detail about the book, but after reading it, I knew I couldn't show up to the book club meeting with my cookies in a ziplock bag, lol.

So, I put together 10 of these little tags really quick.  My tags are 2 3/4 x 4 inches.  I corner rounded the bottom and used a knotch type punch for the top.  I stamped Harriet Lulu in Memento on GP, layered on Black.  Stamped the sentiment from Four the Holidays in Memento on the bottom of the tag.  Marvy Snowflake Punch, Black Stickles, Circle Punch, Denami Design Ribbon and Button.

My cookies all packaged up=)  I made Cranberry Hootycreeks.

Thank-you for stopping by.  I hope you're having a great day!

Contempo Candy Canes...

Sorry I've been MIA.  I've been sick the last week and a half and haven't felt up to being crafty. 
Anyhow, back in October I had made these treats for the ladies in my spouse's group for Halloween.  One of the spouse's (Sandy) asked me to come up with something creative for her to give to her coworkers using a Candy Cane.  I made 25 of these for Sandy. 
I started off stamping the tree from Contempo Christmas in Lucky Limeade.  I paper pieced the pot and ran my images through the Cuttlebug.  The Cherry Cobbler layers are also ran through the Cuttlebug using the Big Scallop Ovals Nesstie.  White layer uses the CB Swiss Dot Folder on top of a Lucky Limeade layer that is on top of a white card base.  In order to hold the candy cane in place, I made two slots on the fold for the candy cane to slide through.  The sentiment is from Four the Holidays.  SU Photo Corner and Snowflake Punch, Rhinestone, and Lucky Limeade Ribbon.

Thank-you for stopping by!  Have a great day!

Congratulations Major Avilla...

One of my hubs co-workers was promoted to Major earlier this week so I made him a card for the occassion.  Major Avilla's parents were able to come in from out of town to be apart of his pin on ceremony, which was so nice to see his family be there for him and support him.

Anyhow, my card was very quick and simple.  The inspiration for my sketch came from the recent Denami Sketch #10 Challenge, changing it just a bit.  I started off by stamping Patriotic Chickie in Memento on Neenah, coloring with Copics.  I used a Prismacolor Pencil and OMS for the ground.  Service and Sacrifice sentiment, SU Punches, CB Folder, Night of Navy and Cherry Cobbler cardstock.  

I hope you have a great weekend.  My girlfriend and I are going to Tubac this evening for the Luminaria Nights Fiesta Navidad.  Neither of us have been before and are looking so forward to it.   

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas...

This will be my oldest grandson Wylie's Christmas Card.  The Bellarific Friday challenge is a Holiday Card.  I used CPS#246 which Stamping Bella is sponsoring this week.  I stamped King of the Candy Canes by Christy Croll from Stamping Bella in Memento Ink, coloring with Copics.  I used Stickles on his hat and stocking and fussy cut him out since I oversaturated.  I had to restamp the candy cane, colored it, cut it out and put it ontop of the messy one.  Thank-you to Jen Del Muro for that lil' tip several weeks ago!  Wild Wasabi, Cherry Cobbler, and EP Holly Jolly Christmas Paper.  Marvy Snowflake Punch, Bella's Baubles and Bella Dots.  Sentiment by A Muse.  I'll also be linking my card up to Tiddly Ink Challenge #74- Anything Goes. 

Thank-you for stopping by.  I hope ya'll have a great weekend.  I'm off to physical therapy (oh fun). 

Owl Always Be Your Friend...

I hope all of my American readers had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Ours was very quiet, our daughter and grandboys went to CA to visit family...so we took the opportunity to do a little volunteering and served Thanksgiving Dinner.  It was nice to give a little bit of our time back to the community.

This is for the Denami Design Sketch Challenge #10.  It's no secret that sketch challenges are my favorite=)  This one was a fairly simple sketch, but I struggled with the two layers.  I wanted to reverse the layers, hence why I'm so late at making my card and uploading it. 

Anyhow...I started out stamping the Whimsical Oval Frame then stamped the Owl Trio inside of it with Memento Ink on Neenah, then coloring with Copics.  I used a Glaze Pen on the eyes and beaks.  For the ground I used a Prismacolor Pencil and OMS.  I took a Glitter Pen and filled inside the double lined border, then I went over the dots with Cinnamon Stickles.  I stamped the sentiment on Crumb Cake with a white border and used the SU Photo Corner Punch to make the tag.  Crumb Cake base with a CB Folder and Memento Rich Cocoa sponged lightly over it.  Denami Design Button and SU Linen Thread.

Thank-you for stopping by, I hope ya'll have a great week!  

Patterned Pines

Ok, on Monday I was doing the Happy Dance!  I found out that my Team Edward card was picked as the winner of the Monday Funday #7 Twi-Color Combo Challenge....can you say shocked!?!?

This is for Card Patterns 142 and my last entry for Echo Park's FB Holiday Project Contest.  I started off stamping one of the three trees from the Patterned Pines set in Peach Parfait on Neenah then cut it out.  I mounted it on Echo Park Holly Jolly Christmas, Island Indigo, and Cherry Cobbler.  All my DSP is Echo Park's Holly Jolly Christmas with a Cherry Cobbler border.  Peach Parfait with a SU punch border, Denami Design Ribbon and Button, and Twine.

I hope ya'll have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  My daughter and grandboys are going to San Diego to visit some family while my hubs and I are going stay home with our chihuahua's and enjoy the alone time together.  We plan on serving Thanksgiving dinner at the VFW with some of my hubs co-workers.

Thank-you for stopping by!

Caramel Candle Holder...

My friend Kat rode 60 miles in the El Tour de Tucson yesterday...go Kat!  My daughter's school gave free massages to the riders after they were done with the tour, gives them more practice and it's a nice volunteering opportunity for them.  

Anyhow, I saw this fun gift giving idea on the front cover of the Nov/Dec issue of Paper Crafts Magazine done by Betsy Veldman . I thought it would be a great door prize for our spouses group meeting earlier this week. Here's my quick and simple version of the idea=) I bought a Pumpkin Pie Candle and used the color of the candle as a guide for my color combo. I stamped Wheat Stalks three times in More Mustard, going over the Wheat Stalks with a Glitter Pen. Crumb Cake and Cajun Craze Cardstock, nesties and Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon. I used a quart size wide mouth mason jar, filling it with 1 1/2 bags of Caramels. My votive cup I've had forever ago from Michael's. 


Lindsey (the winner of the door prize) had a fabulous idea...she collects antique marbles and is going to fill the jar with marbles when the caramels are all gone=)  I told her I would switch out the ribbon and label to match her decor=) 

My daughter Mikaela (in white) with two of her classmates.

Thank-you so much for stopping by...I hope you've had a great weekend!

Good Luck Kat!!!

I don't usually post my Bellarific Friday Challege Card this early, but...my fellow spouse and friend Kat is riding in El Tour de Tucson today!  I wanted to post it today in honor of her special day and to wish her well.  This is her 4th year riding in El Tour.  Her 1st year she rode 35 miles, 2nd year 66 miles, 3rd year 79 miles and this year she is planning on doing her first century race of 109 miles!  Go rider #136!!!  Kat collected donations for Tu Nidito.  They provide comfort, hope and support for children and families whose lives have been impacted by a serious medical condition or death in Southern Arizona.  I admire Kat's drive and am so proud of her for reaching her donation goal.

For my card I used SC357.  I stamped i-wish-i-looked-so-good-on-a-bike-abella in Memento Ink on Neenah, coloring with my Copics.  Smooch on her shirt and dog, Glaze Pen over the bike.  Cool Caribbean, Kiwi Kiss, MME paper, Maya Roads Ribbon on top of Michael's Ribbon.

Thank-you for stopping by.  I hope you have a great weekend!

Candy Cane King...

Oh what fun did I have last night seeing Breaking Dawn with my daughter and girlfriends! (the 3:30 bedtime was a bit rough, lol).  Now I can't wait for the second part of the movie to come out to find out what happens...I think I may have to read the books after the Holidays=)  The girls loved their Edward cards and got a lil' giggle from them too=)
Anyhow, let's talk about my card...this will be my youngest grandson Connor's Christmas Card=)  This is a Christy Croll image, King of the Candy Canes from Stamping Bella.  This card does triple duty for challenges...my entry for the Bellarific Friday Challenge (a sketch challenge), Tiddly Inks Challenge #73- Anything Goes and Echo Park's FB Holiday Project Contest.

I stamped King of the Candy Canes in Memento Ink on Neenah, coloring with Copics.  I oversaturated the paper and had some bleeding out issues at his feet.  Rather than take the time to try to clean up my mess and risk ruining my image, I just fussy cut him out=)  I used stickles on his crown and stocking.  Went over his crown and candy cane with a glaze pen and the star with a glitter pen.  Island Indigo, Peach Parfait, Echo Park Holly Jolly Christmas Paper, CB Snowflake Folder, Twine, Denami Design Buttons, SU Linen Thread.

Thank-you so much for stopping by!  Have a great weekend!

Do I dazzle you???

This card is for my fellow spouse and sweet friend Lindsey who's "Team Jasper"...humph.  I couldn't come up with a catchy quote Edward says to Jasper so I came up with a silly one from Edward, "Do I dazzle you?"  I'm looking forward to going out to the movies with my daughter and girlfriends, I'm long overdue for some girly time=)

This will be my last entry for Monday Funday #7 Twi-Color Combo and the last of my Edward cards...I hope you're not tired of them, lol.  I stamped Edward in Memento Ink on Neenah, coloring with Copics.  Real Red, Black, and EP Happy Days Paper.  I sprayed Glimmer Mist on my white panel...to make it "dazzle"=)  Sentiment is computer generated.  For my sketch I used this month's SFYTT.  I'll also upload my card to EP FB Page.  Each week they pick a featured project to share on their blog for using their paper and posting your project to their FB Page...easy enough!

Thank-you for stopping by! 

I followed your scent...

I thought it would be fun to make my daughter and girlfriends some cards for our night out to see Breaking Dawn.  I made this card for my daughter, she is "Team Jacob" and I am "Team Edward"=)

I once again was able to combine three challenges=)  I did Monday Funday #7 Twi-Color Combo Challenge again.  I used SSSC143 and this is my entry for EP FB Holiday Project Challenge. 

I started out stamping Edward with Memento Ink on Neenah, coloring with my Copics.  Cherry Cobbler, Black, White, EP Happy Days and EP Holly Jolly Christmas Paper. Fiskars Punch and the "sentiment" is computer generated=) 

I hope all of you have a great Wednesday.  I have a spouse's meeting tonight, we're going to a Mongolian BBQ place for dinner.  I'm looking forward to it...yummy!

 



Team Edward...

I'm not a huge Twilight fan, but got this image from The Greeting Farm a long time ago because I liked his preppy look.  I had no idea it was "Edward" and that I'd end up watching the Twilight series with my daughter (just 2 weeks ago) and that I'd be "Team Edward", lol.  I'll be off to see the movie late Thursday night with my daughter and a couple of my girlfriends so I thought I'd make a couple of cards for the occassion=)

My card ends up doing triple duty as far as challenges goes, that rarely happens for me.  First it's for the Monday Funday #7 Twi-Color Combo Challenge at TGF.  I used Card Patterns Sketch 141 and I'll be uploading my card to Echo Park Paper's FB Holiday Project Contest- to use "Season's Greetings", "Holly Jolly Christmas", or Dot's and Stripes Christmas".  I started out stamping Edward in Memento Ink on Neenah, coloring with Copics.  I over saturated his shoes, making a huge mess when I tried to clean it up so I cut him out.  In the end it worked out perfect for this sketch.  I stamped Team and Edward with and old CTMH Private Eye-Tiny Set.  I used Banner Day Die-namics, Silver Cord, Black Rhinestones, SU Photo Corner Punch, Black, White and Holly Jolly Christmas Paper.

Thank-you so much for stopping by, I hope you're having a great day!

Monograms for Aquila...

I made a set of a dozen of these Monogram Cards for my neighbor and friend Aquila.  Her birthday was a couple days ago but we're meeting up for lunch today so I wanted to give them to her then. 
This is my favorite go to sketch for making Monogram Cards, it's very quick and simple.  I used some older SU DSP, Pretty in Pink, Barely Banana, Chocolate Satin Ribbon, SU Punches, Chocolate Chip Ink and Justrite Stampers.
Is anyone going to see Breaking Dawn?  I'm going with my daughter and a couple of my friends.  I watched all the movies a couple weeks ago so I'd be caught up and clued in=)
Thank-you for stopping by, have a great week!



Patriotic Peppermint Bark...

So, I did "Tanya Math" (term used in my house every time I make a mathematical error) for the Halloween Bark I made for my Physical Therapists=(  I miscounted and left one of the PT's out.  He was prior Air Force so I made it up to him today by bringing him in a huge bag of Patriotic Peppermint Bark=)  I added some of those melt in your mouth peppermint candies and red, white, and blue sprinkles.  Just a quick and simple little tag made with Patriotic Chickie, SU Punches, and some Denami Ribbon.

I saw this "photo" going around fb and it is one of my favorite descriptions on what a "Veteran" is.

A couple weeks ago my hubs met me and our grandboys for dinner right after he got off of work so he was still in uniform.  I was walking slightly ahead of him with our older grandson Wylie and my hubs was a little ways behind holding our youngest grandson Connor.  I hear a ladies voice from the bar area say, "Hey Soldier...thank-you for your service!  I appreciate it".  It really touched my heart and means so much to our service men and women.  I hope you all have had a nice Veterans Day and have had a chance to thank the Veterans in your life as well as any you may have come across today.  A special thank-you to my Dad, Grandfather-in-law, Step dad, and BFF Angie, may they all be resting in peace.  Thank-you to my sweet hubs who has provided our family a wonderful life through his time and service in the Air Force...I enjoy being a Military Wife=)

Thank-you so much for stopping by, enjoy your weekend. 



Service and Sacrifice...

This is the first time that I've made Vetrans Day Cards.  I made 25 of them for my hubs troops, just wanted to thank them for their service and sacrifice and wish them a Happy Vetrans Day.  I used Card Patterns 140 for my layout, keeping things very clean and simple.  I started out stamping Flag Chickie in Memento Ink on Neenah, coloring with Copics.  SU Punches to crop him out.  Sentiment is from SU Silhouette Sentiments. I stamped Shooting Star in VersaMark Dazzle on Very Vanilla (hard to see in pic but gives a nice shimmery effect).  SU Scallop Punch for the Night of Navy layer.  Baroque Burgundy and Denami Design Buttons.  Inside I stamped, "Thanks for your dedicated SERVICE and SACRIFICE."   

Thank-you for stopping by.   

Santa's Clothes...

Last year I participated for most of the year in Sparkle's Christmas Card Challenge, however this year I have slacked terribly.  I'm not sure I will be able send out homemade cards at this point=( 

Anyhow this is my entry for SCCC48 which is to use Liquid Applique.  It's also my entry for this weeks Bellarific Friday Challenge, to use Snow on your card.  I loved Clean & Simple Stamping Sketch 164 so much I used it again for my card. 

I stamped Santa's Clothes a Dryin' in Memento Ink on Neenah, coloring with my copics.  I outlined the image with a glitter pen.  I used Liquid Applique on the Snowflake, Santa Hat and Pants and made some Snow on the ground.  I sprinkled the Liquid Applique with Glamour Dust then heated it to make it puff up.  Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake cardstock, A Muse Sentiment, Button and Linen Thread.

I hope you all have a great weekend!  Thanks for stopping by.

My Lil' Pumpkin...

So, I purchased my very first digital stamp!  I could never get them to print on Neenah so I wasn't too fond of them.  The ladies over at the SCS TGF Forum gave me (well my hubs) great advice and wha~la...out came Hallo Pumpkin on Neenah Cardstock!  Can you say Happy Dance!!!  My grandson Connor was a Pumpkin for Halloween and I really wanted to make him a card with this image.  Yes, a day late...but he doesn't know that;)
This is my entry for Monday Funday.  I used Card Patterns 139.  Pumpkin Pie, MME, SU DSP, Sentiment from Happy Fall set.

My youngest grandson Connor, He was 14 months on Halloween.  He's such a sweet and gentle lil' guy. 

My oldest grandson Wylie.  He's 2 1/2.  He is such a character.  He was so sweet last night, he'd ask if he could have a piece of candy for Connor.  He'd take 1 piece, say, "Thank-you" then go running to Poppa who had Connor in the stroller and toss the candy in Connor's pumpkin.  It was so sweet=)  The boys were so good and had so much fun. 

Thank-you so much for stopping by.  I hope you have a great rest of your week!

Webful of Thanks...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! 
I made this for one of the ladies in our spouse's group to thank her for putting together the Children's Halloween Party last week.  All her time, effort, and hard work is much appreciated!
I used Clean & Simple Stamping Sketch 164.  This is my first time playing along in their sketch challenge.  I stamped the spider from Web Wishes, coloring the hat with copics, I went over her with a glaze pen and a glitter pen over the candy bag.  I stamped the web in Going Grey then went over it with a glitter pen.  Sentiment from Much Appreciated.  Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black paper, SU punches...Clean & Simple=)
Have a Happy Halloween and please be safe tonight while you're out and about with your munchins.

Halloween Bark...

Thank-you Lowri for featuring your Halloween Bark on Echo Park's Blog.  It was the perfect treat to make for my Physical Therapists for Halloween=) 

I like how these little tags for the treat bags turned out.  It's the first time I've made tags like thess.  I stamped Three Houses on Very Vanilla with Memento Ink.  I lined the inside of the house with my C0 copic then went over it with a glitter pen.  I outlined the house with a glaze pen and used stickles for the windows.  Prismacolor Pencils and OMS for the ground and highlights around the house.  Tim Holtz Distress Inks around the edges.  I stamped Friendly Ghost in Very Vanilla, used a glitter and glaze pen, cut him out and popped him up on pot dots.  Sentiment from Verve Stamps, Happy Fall.  I used a knotch punch for the top of the tag and a corner rounder at the bottom.  One inch circle punch and Denami Design Ribbon.

 The Halloween Bark was simple to make.  You can take what ever ingredients you want to put in the bark, I chose black licorice and halloween sprinkles.  I cut up the black licorice into small pieces.  

 I took three boxes of Baker's White Chocolate Squares and microwaved it in a glass bowl for 1 minute.  I stirred the chocolate then microwaved for 30 seconds, stirred then microwaved for 10 more seconds.

I spread the melted chocolate in a wax paper lined 13x9 pan. 

 I sprinkled the black licorice over the melted chocolate.

 Then I sprinkled the Halloween Sprinkles over the melted chocolate.

I put the chocolate in the refrigerator to harden.  Then broke them into pieces.

I had to give it a try before I gave it to my Physical Therapists tomorrow and it's actually pretty good.  But I happen to like white chocolate and black licorice...never thought I'd put the two together, but it is yummy!

Thank-you for stopping by.  Hope ya'll have a Happy Halloween tomorrow!