Warm and Fuzzy Wishes...

Merry Christmas!!!  I began working on my Christmas Cards the day after Thanksgiving.  I had a vision for what I wanted in my mind but it didn't translate to paper very well.  I tried a couple more options, still not happy with what I was getting and realizing that gluing the Merry from the die-namics on all my cards was going to be a pain and very time consuming...I ended up with this on my 4th attempt.  The assembly line was a LONG one, but I was thrilled to have ALL 40 of my cards DONE on December 3rd!  A first for me getting them done so early!  

I started out using the Stitched Rectangle Stax and the Stacked Merry die-namics from My Favorite Things on white card stock, running it through the cuttlebug.  Then I used my new Stamparatus from Stampin' up to stamp the sentiment from the Peace, Love and Paws set.  I have to say I absolutely love the Stamparatus, I wish I would've invested in one sooner!  Next I stamped the little puppy from the My Favorite Things Peace, Love, and Paws set, then using the coordinating die-namic so I didn't have to fussy cut.  I put a strip of Real Red card stock behind the Merry with Wink of Stella on it so it would sparkle.  I grounded my puppy image, topped the Merry with a holly, and mounted my panel on a Crumb Cake card base.

 One of my four takes is front and center with a snowflake.  When I showed hubs, he didn't like the snowflake and suggested I do the holly.  I'm happy with his suggestion and it definitely gives a little pop to the card instead of blending in.

Thank you for stopping by.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Happy Birthday Lisa!!!

For my sweet and dear friend Lisa who's birthday is today!  Happy birthday Lisa!!!  I hope you're having an amazing day!

I used SC830 for my layout.  Black, Rose Red and Very Vanilla card stock.  I stamped My Favorite Things Knitted Sweater in Crumb Cake on the Vanilla panels.  My Mind's Eye Lost and Found paper.  I stamped the moose from the Sweater Weather in the Woods set in neenah on memento ink, coloring with copics then used the coordinating die-namic to cut it out so I didn't have to fussy cut.  Sentiment from MFT PI Piggy Bank on the Essential Stitched Sentiment die-namic.  The Black circle is from spellbinders.

 Thank you so much for stopping by!

You're My Favorite...

For my bestie, Kellye for her birthday.  This year has been so hard being away from my bestie for so long.  We got together every Sunday and spent the day together.  We would work out together, then have lunch and dinner too.  I love that being with her is just easy.  We can just hang out and not have an agenda and have the best time just being together.  I really miss those days and look forward to when we can hang out regularly again.  Kellye loves owls so I made sure to add one to her card!

I used My Favorite Thing Knitted Sweater with Crumb Cake.  Then I put the MFT Stitched Rectangle Frame on top and mounted it on a Highland Heather card base.  I stamped the bear and owl from MFT Sweater Weather in the Woods in memento ink on neenah cardstock and used the coordinating die-namics to cut them out so no fussy cutting, whoo-hoo!  I mounted the bear on MFT Grounding Elements die-namic.  Sentiment is from MFT Sweater Weather on Safari.

Getting our sweat on- September 8th, 2019

Hanging out with family by the fire pit- December 1st, 2019

On our cruise!  March 9th, 2020

Hope you're having a wonderful day!

 

Linda & Lilies...

I made this for my best friends mom, Linda.  I first met Linda during Thanksgiving time 7 years ago when she (and her husband Ryan) came out to visit Jeremy and Kellye.  She had such a kind and caring heart that I just instantly loved her.  She welcomed me into their family with opened arms and has always made me feel like I belonged, I can't explain how much that meant to me.  What I love most about her is how she treats my best friends wife, Kellye (my bestie)...I have never met a mother-in-law that loves her daughter-in-law the way Linda does.  Their relationship is so special, I wish every mother and daughter -in-law could experience it.

I stamped the Lavish Lilies from My Favorite Things on neenah, coloring with copics.  Mounted on Petal Pink card base.  Sentiment from MFT PI Piggy Bank set.  Kept it clean and simple.

Took Ryan and Linda to Mt. Lemmon one year while Jeremy and Kellye had to work.

May 30th, 2017 

Queen Mary, night before our (mine and hubs) first cruise and everyone else's umpteenth.

Me, Ryan, Jeremy, Kellye, Linda, and my hubs (Michael).

March 6th, 2020

Thank you so much for stopping by!
Have a great day!

Kellye's Christmas Pick...

My bestie went through my card gallery and asked if I could make her this card for her to send to a friend of hers for Christmas.  10 years later and I still had the stamp, corner punch and cuttlebug folder to create it!

Real Red card base, CB folder, Partridge in a Pear Tree stamp from Craft Warehouse, corner punch from Michael's and Rhinestones.  Colored my image on neenah with copics.
 

My card I made in 2010.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Merry Christmas Annie!!!

My youngest grandboy, Tanner has been going to a speech therapist for a couple of years and has made amazing progress.  He absolutely adores his therapist, Annie.  He talks about her all the time when we video chat.  I asked my daughter if she wanted me to make a special card for Annie for Christmas and of course she said yes.  

This is one of my favorite Christmas stamps featuring a boy.  I've had it for years and this is the 2nd time I"ve used it.  The first time was for my oldest grandson for Christmas one year which is pictured below.  I was running short on time so I used FS716 to get me going.  I changed the colors and sentiments used.  Riding Hood Red base, Carta Bella Merry and Bright paper, Pool Party card stock.  I stamped my Ornament Trevor from C. C. Designs on Neenah card stock, coloring him with copics. I masked Merry Christmas from the My Favorite Things Peace, Love, and Paws stamp set.  Finished it off with a snowflake, stickles, and a rhinestone.   

 Thank you so much for taking a peek.  I hope you're having a wonderful day!

Let's Feast...

 Thanksgiving dinner is my most favorite meal ever.  We have been getting together with our best friends for Thanksgiving for the last 7 years.  Their family has become our family and our family has become theirs.  This year with COVID, our Thanksgiving looked a bit different but we had technology that helped bring everyone together when we couldn't be together.

I made Thanksgiving cards for my closest friends and family members.

I used the current weeks (when I made these) sketch challenge SC826.  I stamped My Favorite Things Pure Innocence Turkey Time in memento ink and colored her with copics.  I paper pieced her dress then did a second paper piecing for the sleeve/arm/turkey.  Baked Brown Sugar card stock for my base, layering with Authentique Glowing paper.  Basic Gray panel with a Very Vanilla layer run through the cuttlebug with My Favorite Things Wonky Stitch Square, then stamped the sentiment from the Turkey Time stamp set on the Vanilla layer.  I mounted my layer, then put the MFT Corn Stalk die-namics in Baked Brown Sugar, then topped it off with my image layer on pop dots and finishing the card with Basic Gray ribbon.

Technology bringing our families together-
FaceTiming with my best friends parents in Kentucky.

My hubs Video Chatting with our Grandboys in Idaho.

My bestie and I Video Chatting with my daughter in Idaho.

 

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Tickled Pink...

I once again fell behind on my blogging.  I made this for my friend Vicki's birthday.  She loves flamingo's.  When I saw this flamingo stamp set from the Colorado Craft Company, I knew I had to buy it so I could make a card for Vicki.

 I followed Yana's tutorial on no blend copic coloring to color the flamingo.  This was my first time coloring this way.  It took me 3 tries to get an image I liked.  The sentiment is also from the flamingo stamp set.  

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Happy Birthday!!!

 Happy Birthday Brooke!!!  I hope you have an amazing day today!  Brooke is such an incredible athlete, mom, and friend.  She's always wanting to do, be apart of, lead, and take charge of things when things need to get done.  She has an amazing drive for her sport/sports and just did a Half Ironman last month.  What an awesome accomplishment!!!  I'm so happy to be teammates and friends with Brooke!!!

Splitcoaststampers holds a challenge every day to get your creative juices flowing.  I was the Featured Stamper FS716 on Splitcoaststampers the week of October 25th (completely took me by surprise!).  What you do for this challenge is look through the Featured Stampers Gallery and CASE (copy and share with everyone) a card, changing one or more things about the card.  You share the card in the FS's gallery and your card and what you changed.  I played along in the challenge too!!!  This is the card that I created for Brooke for her birthday.  I used Black, Gorgeous Grape and White card stock. My favorite Things High Rise Alphabet Lower Case and Happy Birthday.  My Favorite Things Sweater Weather in the Woods stamp set, stamped in Neenah, colored with copics.  SU sequins.

 This is the cards that I CASE'd.  I didn't realized it until my friend opened the card in front of me that I put the p's and y in the wrong position.  They're lower case letters, not upper case, lol.  It's bothered me ever since and I wanted to do the card justice!  I also changed the hot pink to purple, the image, and added sequins.

Me and Brooke last year, meeting each other on the loop to train for El Tour de Tucson.

Hope you have a wonderful day.  

Prayers for the Lautaire's...

A friend of mine asked me to make a couple of sympathy cards for her to give to a mom and boy who lost their son/brother.  The three of them were crossing the street in a crosswalk and were hit.  The driver didn't stop.  The mom didn't have any injuries, but the driver killed her 9 year old son and left her 11 year old son in a cast and wheelchair.  It was absolutely heartbreaking.  My friend asked that I make something with dinosaurs for Max and a cross for his mom.  Here's what I came up with-

Playing along in the featured stamper challenge on splitcoaststampers FS716, I used this card as my inspiration-

I changed the colors, flipped the image, used a different image, and didn't use the clouds.  I used My Favorite Things Little Loveosaurus, Taken with Teal, Basic Gray and Neenah cardstock.  My Favorite Things Wonky Stitch Die-namics, and pop dots. 

This is the card that I came up with for the mom.  I made an extra one for a friend who lost her sister in law.

I also used the Featured Stamper FS716 challenge for inspiration.  I changed the shape of the card, square to the standard 4.25x5.5, changed the circle to an oval, the image, colors, sentiment and put a bow instead of a strip of ribbon.  I used Coastal Cabana, Sahara Sand, and Very Vanilla card stock.  Crosses of Hope and Thoughts and Prayers stamp sets from Stampin' Up and the ribbon is from Michael's.

My card inspiration.

LOOK! Save a Life

Slow down and don't drive distracted...

Thank you for stopping by!

 

Praying for You...

Sympathy cards for two friends who asked me to make them.  They are always the hardest to make.  One is for my friend Joanie who lost her sister-in-law.  I'm so sorry for your loss Joanie.

 I was the Featured Stamper for Splitcoaststampers FS716.  This is the card I used as my inspiration-

I changed the shape of the card, square to the standard 4.25x5.5, changed the circle to an oval, the image, colors, sentiment and put a bow instead of a strip of ribbon.  I used Coastal Cabana, Sahara Sand, and Very Vanilla card stock.  Crosses of Hope and Thoughts and Prayers stamp sets from Stampin' Up and the ribbon is from Michael's.

Thank you for looking!

For Lisa's Sister...

My daughter, her mother-in-law, and I have a group text going.  It's really nice to get to know her a bit since we've never met and our kiddo's are in Idaho.  I shared with them that I was the Featured Stamper on Splitcoaststampers.  Lisa took a look at my gallery and said she loved this card and that her sisters birthday is coming up.  So, off to work I went....

 I used Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, Daffodil Delight, and white card stock.  I ran the white panel through the cuttlebug.  My Favorite Things Sunflower Die-namic and Denami Design ribbon.

Thank you for stopping by!

Happy Mail...

I posted on my FB page in July that I was updating my address book and that if anyone would like a card from me to please send me their address.  I've been working on that list and this is one of those cards.  This is for my Junior High School/High School friend Michael.  We had great fun in school together.  Michael is an all around great guy with a kind heart.  Him and his wife Vikki love the Steelers so I had to make him a Steelers card.

I started off with Neenah card stock, using the My Favorite Things Wonky Stitch Die-Namics.  I stamped Quarterback Ian from The Greeting Farm in Memento, then colored it with copics.  I sponged Summer Sun around the image and grounded it with copics.  I added the the drops because somehow I got red ink from the Summer Sun in the top right corner, lol.  It worked so I was happy with the addition.  Black base, Summer Sun ran through the Cuttle Bug and I added a gel pen to the helmet to give it some shine.

2010 at our combined High School Reunion- 1990, 1991, & 1992

Berta, Michael and his wife Vikki, and me.

Have a great day!

Old Fashion Birthday...

Happy birthday to my best friends step-dad, Ryan!!!  It's always a good time when Ryan is around.  He makes the best spaghetti when he comes to visit and loves his Old Fashions.  I purchased this stamp set just so I can make him a birthday card with it.  Hope you had a great day Ryan!!!  

My base is Cajun Craze.  I stamped the images in Smokey Slate and in Versamark ink, then I used my embossing gun to heat set it.  Colored with my copics then went over the images with a gel pen.  I did several layers on the ice cubes to try to give them a bit of dimension.

Ryan and me in 2017.

Thank you so much for stopping by!  

 

Happy Birthday Sugar!!!

It's hard to believe I became a mom to this beautiful young lady 31 years ago today!  I knew when I didn't have her on my due date (10/4) that I'd be having her on Friday the 13th...and I did!  Words can't express how incredibly proud I am to be her mom.  She is such a go getter, goal oriented, not afraid of change, a fabulous mom to her 3 boys, and an amazing daughter.  I wish we lived closer...I miss our movie nights curled up on the couch together and our lazy days by the pool.  I'm so blessed to have you as my daughter Mikaela, I love and miss you so very much!!!

My daughter loves sugar skulls.  Since I didn't have a stamp, hubs printed one off the computer for me.  I colored with copics.  Blackberry Bliss, black and Neenah card stock, rhinestones, and sequins.

These are two of my favorite pictures of my daughter...

Radiant in Red.

She worked at Sally's Beauty at the time.  Dressed up for Halloween as a Rockerstar.

 Have a great rest of your day!

Back in the Saddle Soon...

Our amazing sponsor, Don with Farmers Insurance had a mishap on his bike a couple weeks ago.  I made him a card to lift his spirits.

I used My Favorite Things Radiating Rays stencil, sponging Daffodil Delight and Only Orange.  Then I stamped the bike from Hero Arts stamp set.  Sentiment from Gina K. Design.

 Me, Carolyn, and Don.

Thank you for stopping by!

Happy Birthday Kelly!!!

For my teammate and dear friend Kelly.  She has such a kind soul and I miss riding with her so much.  I can't wait until this COVID stuff is over so our team can resume our group rides.  

 Kelly loves sunflowers.  I found this card on Pinterest and wanted to create it for Kelly.  I used Crumb Cake for my base, Chocolate Chip, Daffodil Delight, and white card stock.  My Favorite Things Sunflowers die-namics, Cuttle Bug Folder and Denami Design ribbon.

Thank you for taking a peek at my blog!

Wish Big!!!

Every year for my best friends birthday I make him a funny card.  This year I CASE'd a card I saw on Pinterest.  I loved the card as soon as I saw it and also felt it appropriate for the way this year has gone!

I didn't have the wood stamp the inspiration card used to make the outhouse card so I used DSP from My Mind's Eye.  I used Sahara Sand then built my outhouse on it.  I had to do the inside of the door as well since the other side of the DSP was not wood.  I used Early Espresso for the hinges, and SU hodgepodge hardware.  

I loved the sentiment they used as well, which I thought was hilarious!!!

Me and Jeremy on the cruise in March.

You know you have an awesome best friend when he help you decorate your craft room!

My favorite tradition we have...cooking each other a birthday meal.  This year he picked bacon wrapped meatloaf and mashed sweet potatoes.

And something apple for dessert...Apple Dapple Cake.

Thank you so much for stopping by! 

Happy Birthday Pam!!!

I made this for my awesome teammate, Pam.  We did a team time trial earlier this year (before COVID hit).  The team met up at her house and caravan to our race.  When I walked in, I saw this photo and fell in love.  I told Pam I love pictures of doors.  She said she does too...so I had to take a picture and use the colors to make her birthday card.

I used the Terry Medaris stamp, he's a local artist.  I stamped my image on Neenah with memento ink, coloring with a bazillion copics.  I tried using colored pencils to get some shading and shadowing in but apparently I need lots of practice at it, lol.  I used More Mustard and Soft Suede card stock to frame my image like the picture.

I think Pam said she got the picture at Fry's.  I just love it!

Me and Pam...and her work/our sponsors.

Thank you for stopping by, hope you have a great weekend!