I'm back! :-)

We had a wonderful vacation in VA last week!  Got to see some dear old friends (though they are not old!!!), have great family time, learn a few historical things at Colonial Williamsburg, and scream like crazy on the coasters at Busch Gardens!!  It was soooo much fun but it was sooooooo HOT!!

Here's a taste of our time...

Our home away from home:

Colonial Williamsburg ~
Governor's Palace:

It was so hot that there were not a lot of 'towns people' walking the street so I got excited when I saw this guy on his horse and went over to get his pic.  He waved at me.  I wondered what he was doing then realized that he was "George Washington" and taking part in a reenactment down the street.  Oops!  I almost kept George Washington from saving the day!  LOL

The Capitol Building:

Busch Gardens ~
The water rides were very welcome!!!

"Alpengeist"  My favorite! Very twisty! :D

"Griffon" - 4 second pause then a 90 degree drop!  My family is in the second row. I rode this one, too, and it is a lot of fun!!

 They have lots of beautiful animals!

Home again ~

We had a great time but now back to real life!   My daughter's birthday was yesterday and here is her birthday cake... turtle cheesecake!!

Yummy!!

I hope to spend some time in my carft room today so should be posting again soon.

Have a great day!!!

"Howdy Pardner" boy's card

I have not put a sentiment inside yet but I think this will probably end up being a birthday card.  Cards for boys are always a challenge for me, so I'll probably need it for that.
This for the current Cards for men challenge.



~"howdy pardner" from Old West
~cowboy from A Child's Year
~baker's twine and gel pen doodling

Thanks for stopping by!!!!

Mitten card - Warm Holiday Wishes

It was over 90 today and I got in our pool for the first time this summer... then came in and made a Christmas card!  :-)

This is for...

jingle belles ~ "holiday leftovers" (all paper is from my scrap drawer)
Celebrate the Occasion ~ Christmas shaped card
Bitten by the Bug 2 ~ mittens from Joys of the Season

~paper from my  scrap pile
~mitten cut at 5" and welded for the card
~Inkadinkadoo stamp
~baker's twine
~black ink

Thanks for looking!!!!!

Fashionista birthday card

I made three cards today and now I will take a 'vacation' since we actually are leaving for vacation on Thursday!   I had hoped to get a couple of LO's done, too, but wasn't able to.  At least I got my house cleaned and most of the laundry done today.  :D

This is a birthday card for a girly girl... a shoe!  Of course, even my non-girly girls love shoes!

I am submitting this to 3 challenges:

Birthday Sundaes ~ orange, green, and white (and birthday wording, as always)

Getting Cricky with K Andrew ~ "fashionista"

Stampin' Sisters in Christ ~ "what works for you" Jas. 2:18,19 

     - favorite item for stamping (I most often just use a sentiment)

~DCWV Sweet Stack patterned paper

~frame and shoe outline from Graphically Speaking, welded

~Old Olive SU ink

Thanks for looking!!!

"cool wishes" summer birthday card

The Cricut Cardz Challenge #82 asked for a card with summer apparel or accessory.  Sunglasses seemed like  a good choice and when I started thinking about that, "cool wishes" seemed appropriate.  

~A2 card from Kraft paper

~DCWV Hippie Chic cardstock

~Echo Park Splash patterned paper

~flower from George

~'cool wishes' from OA welded

~sunglasses from EDPD, 3 layers of shiny Slice paper

~Paper Studio brad and a little bit of bling

Thanks for looking!!!!!

"splash" LO

I don't have a lot of water pics for this year yet, so I went looking through my pics from last year.  In July '10, we celebrated my parents 50th anniversary with a week of family activities.  We started with a couple of days at their cottage.  It was sooooo much fun!!!  Swimming, boating, food, fun, and unfortunately, sunburn!   Last fall, I got my pics printed from that week, but I didn't do much with them then.  This has me inspired to get at them and make a scrapbook for that special time!

These pics fit the sketch from Sketchy Thursdays this week and a water theme fit the criteria over at Fantabulous Cricut.   I'm submitting this to Getting Cricky with K Andrew's summer fun challenge, too.

(All the colors look a little 'dull' in the pic.  They are much better IRL!)
~DCWV summer words paper
~Coredinations and Paper Studio cardstock
~DCWV Tahiti Beach for the flags
~glossy accents to look like water droplets
~Sybil Green font for 'splash' cut and shadowed in MTC  **I noticed how much the asterisk looked like a water drop, so added a few for accents

Thanks for looking!!!

Have a Beary Happy Birthday!

Always good to have birthday cards on hand!  This will add to my collection.  This was a quick and easy card to put together since it needed to be CAS.  I didn't even put ribbon on it!  I didn't realize I could make a card without ribbon!!  :D

Challenges...

Birthday Sundaes ~ anything goes birthday with birthday wording on front

Tuesday Morning Sketches ~ follow sketch

Stampin' Sisters in Christ ~ clean and simple  

What I used...

~Kraft paper card

~Bazzill cardstock

~birthday paper from my stash

~computer generated sentiment (waterfalls font)

~digi stamp from Stitchy Bear Stamps  (I really like this guy... I have him both colored and uncolored)

~2" round and 2 1/4" scalloped punches

~Paper Studio brads

Thanks for stopping by!!!

'Christmas in July' card

Still working at my Christmas cards!   This week was quite easy to be inspired.  A couple of challenges want Christmas cards and the sketch from another fit this theme well.  I was pleased with this card and might even 'mass produce' this one for this year.

Mojo Monday 198 ~ follow sketch 

jingle belles ~ starts or stripes forever

Celebrate the Occasion ~ "Christmas in July (no red)"!!! * *now when I even hear the word Christmas, I see red - no, I don't get mad, I really see the color because to me Christmas is red & green, so this was a bit out of the norm for me, but I was able to do it. :D  They are having a DT call so head over there if you are interested in that, too!

Thank you, jingle belles, for picking this as a shining star this week!!!!!

What I did...

~Kraft paper A2 card

~Christmas paper from my stash

~computer generated sentiment cut with 2" round punch

~2 1/4" scallop punch

~star cut in MTC

~yellow strip embossed with Swiss Dots

~ribbon from my stash

Thanks for looking!!!!

1st Tacky Tuesday entry - cool "sweet" treat thank you card

This is my first entry for the "Tacky Tuesday" challenge on Facebook from September Ninth's blog.  

This week the challenge is to use a "cool treat" cut or SVG and use the word "sweet" in the sentiment.

I had made a popsicle card a couple of months ago and thought this cut would be great for this challenge.  This says "thank you" on the inside. 

What I did:

~5" popsicle from Doodlecharms

~Welded 2 popsicle shadows for the card base in Kraft paper

~cut another shadow for the front so the fold does not show

~cut the whole popsicle in light tan

~cut the 'frozen' part in pink Bazzill

~"U R so sweet" from Doddletype (the paper glitters a little)

~white gel pen for doodling

~American Crafts ribbon

Thanks for looking!!!!

Stars & Stripes birthday card

This card has stars and stripes, though not really the July 4th kind.  :D

This is for...
Birthday Sundaes - stars and stripes and birthday wording
Tuesday Morning Sketches - sketch

Thanks for looking!!!

Red, White, and Blue LO's

We always have a picnic at our house on July 4th and invite our whole church family.  It is so much fun and I love to scrap the pics (when I remember to bring the camera out!!)!

This year, I am trying to scrap our year as we go.  I'm a little behind in that but these pages will help... they are for July 4th so all I need to do is put the pics in after that day.  

Challenges...

Fantabulous Cricut - use red, white, and blue

Celebrate the Occasion - July 4th: use red, white, and blue

Sketchy Thursdays - sketch (I did both pages of the sketch)

What I used:

~DCWV paper

~Kraft paper frames

~stars welded in MTC

~2011 from Stone Script

~Labels for journaling Nestabilities

~hemp, flower, beads, and brads from my stash

Thanks for looking!!!

Red, White, Blue thank you

With July 4th just around the corner, 'red white & blue' is the theme for many challenges.   This is a thank you card in those colors.

Submitting to these challenges...

Mojo Monday 197 - sketch

Stampin' Sisters in Christ - red, white, blue thank you

"Recipe"-

~Kraft paper card 4 1/2" square

~Red cardstock embossed with Swiss Dots folder

~Blue cardstock run through a crimper

~Inkadinkadoo stamp on 1 3/4" circle

~Blue 2" circle

~Red 2 1/4" scallop

~Flowers, pearl, bow from my stash

Thanks for looking!!!

Simple Christmas card and tag

This is just a simple card and tag to add to my growing stash for December!

Challenges...

Tuesday Morning Sketches ~ follow sketch

jingle belles ~ "Lonely this Christmas" aka tag along with Opus Gluei

Order of the Opus Gluei ~ tag along with jingle belles

~I think this is some of the very first Christmas paper I ever bought years ago!  

~I made an A2 card from Kraft paper, and a Kraft paper 5" tag from PS.  

~Ribbon, brad, pearls are all from my stash.  

~The "Celebrate" tag is from a Colorbok Christmas pack.

Thanks for stopping by!!!!!

"sunny days" summer birthday card

Summer seems to be the theme for a lot of challenges lately.  It's hard to be inspired... we had a couple of weeks of 90 degrees in May and since them it's been cool with rain, rain, rain!  I hope that wasn't all the summer we are going to get!!  

This is a summer birthday card wishing 'sunny days' all year long on the outside and 'happy birthday' on the inside.

Challenges...

Birthday Sundaes - shaped card

Celebrate the Occasion - sun

Fantabulous Cricut - sun

BBTB2 - "sunny days"

Stampin' Sisters in Christ - doodling

"Recipe"...

~Bazzill cardstock

~Slice glittery paper for the wording

~sun 4 1/2"  from George, welded, one cut in yellow for the front, extra center cut in orange

~'sunny days' from Alphalicious, welded

~MS "Happy Birthday" ribbon

~MS pen for doodling

Thanks for looking!!!!  And I hope summer truly arrives soon!! :D 

**Thank you Birthday Sundaes for choosing this card as a Super Sundae card!!!

Warm Holiday Wishes - Mojo & jingle belles

Yay!  I got my Christmas card done for this week!  

I will submit this card to the following challenges...

Mojo Monday ~ follow the sketch

jingle belles ~ "all bundled up" with 3 or more layers

How I did it:

~A2 card made from Kraft paper

~red cardstock from J's

~Wintertime by Bella Rosa paper

~Inkadinkadoo sentiment stamp

~digi stamp from Crafty Pad Designs
~Shapelies from Penny Duncan

~Ribbon Boutique ribbon

~snowman button from my stash

Thanks for looking!!!!

Sweet blog award!

Wow!  Thank you to Donna from http://donnasdreamworks.blogspot.com/ and Nita from http://niftynitanotes.blogspot.com/ for "The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award"!!  You will want to check out these talented ladies' blogs!!

 

For this award, I must thank the sender(s), list 7 things about me, and send it on to 7 bloggers.

7 things about me:

1.  blogging is frustrating me this morning! :D

2.  our family is done with our homeschooling for this year!  woot!!

3.  I speak a little French and Spanish

4.  we plan to vacation in VA this summer

5.  Colm Wilkinson once sang "Happy Birthday" to me!

6.  my new favorite website is cropchocolate.com

7.  my daughter plays the French horn well  

        (it's my favorite instrument so I chose it for her when she was 9)

Here are the blogs of some wonderful crafters that I am passing this award to!

Congratulations to...

~ http://nonnascraftcorner.blogspot.com/

~ http://kwilliamskreations.blogspot.com/

~ http://inkdwings.blogspot.com/

~ http://thisandthatbygwen.blogspot.com/

~ http://paperdeckerations.blogspot.com/

~ http://raqcreations.blogspot.com/

~ http://scrapinmomofoneinspiringlittleboy.blogspot.com/

Go check them out!!

Thanks again Donna and Nita!!

For You - Argyle Father's Day card

I realized that I am almost out of time for the challenge over at Cricut Cardz this week.  Obviously, I made it at before Father's Day, but the weekend was so crazy that I didn't post.  The inside says "Happy Father's Day". 

What I used:

~Basic Grey Recess paper

~Bazzill cardstock

~Circles, square, rectangles from George

~Argyle Cuttlebug folder

~Baker's twine

~brown brads

~Fiskars 'for you' stamp

Thanks for looking!!!

Christmas card from sketch - jingle belles

I've missed a few weeks of the jingle belles challenges, but I really want to keep up so I have Christmas cards ready when December comes!  This week I am slow getting at it and not really happy with the result so this one may never be sent!!  

I followed the sketch and it looked much better in my mind!!  :-o  Maybe it needed some red on it! :-)

I used:

~Basic Grey paper

~Colorbok snowflakes punchouts

~Nestabilites for the shape

~Fiskars threading water punch

~Tim Holtz peeled paint ink

~stamps from my collection

Thanks for looking!!

Father's Day - SSIC

I have been making lots of father's day cards lately, but this one my kids love and it is going to my husband.
The theme this week as Stampin' Sisters in Christ is Father's Day, so I'll share this one there. 

What I used:
~Basic Grey paper for the background
~Bazzill cardstock
~tweed stamp
~olive grosgrain ribbon
~Fastenater (had not used that in years!)
~pewter tag and slide that I've had forever

Thanks for looking!!!

#1 Dad - Father's Day card

This card is for my dad.  I've made several for others to give but this is for my dad who loves cars!!  He and a friend once owned a Model-T that had a checkered paint job!!  That would have been cool to make one on the card, but I used a digi I have.

Challenges to which I will submit this card....

Cards for men ~ blue and black

Fantabulous Cricut ~ #1 Dad

Celebrate the Occasion ~ Father's Day

Whimsical Wednesday ~ Father's Day

What I used:

~Core'dinations for the card - embossed with Distressed Stripes Cuttlebug folder and sanded

~Background shape from Sentimentals cut at 3 1/2" and 3 3/4"

~Vintage car digi from Stitchy Bear Stamps

~ribbon and brads

Thanks for stopping by!!!!

50th Anniversary card - Mojo

A friend needs a 50th anniversary card for her parents, and when I saw Mojo Monday's sketch this week, I thought it would work well for it.  

What I used:

~pre-made 5x7 card

~K & Co  paper

~Fiskars treading water punch

~computer generated sentiment

~ivory grosgrain ribbon

Thanks for looking!!!

Teddy bear birthday card

I finally got to spend a couple of hours in my craft room crafting! :-)  I've not been able to do much lately and have missed a lot of my favorite challenges, but hopefully, I'll have more time now that we are about finished with school!!   My 9th grader has a few lessons left and 2 of the kids have achievement tests and we are DONE!!!

I got some new digital stamps and was eager to try them out.  I used one on this card that is for a little girl who is turning 2.   

challenges I will submit it to:

Birthday Sundaes ~ anything goes b'day with b'day wording

Stampin' Sisters in Christ ~ Jn. 13:34-35...something new (my new digi stamp!)

Tuesday Morning Sketches ~ follow the sketch

~I think my dsp was from a DCWV stack

~digi stamp from Stitchy Bear Stamps 

~buttons, cardstock, stamp from my stash

Thanks for stopping by!!!

We Three Kings - jingle belles

It has been really hot here, so thinking of Christmas is difficult!  But I found a Christmas pack at Big Lots yesterday so it was easy to make a card for the  jingle belles challenge this week... 

"We Three Kings" ~ use at least 3 different design papers.

All the papers and the stickers are from the Colorbok pack

Brads and ribbon from my stash

Shape cut is Nestabilities

a little chalking the edges, a little doodling and Voila!

Thanks for looking!!!

Anniversary card - BBTB2

This week at BBTB2, they inspired us with the flying bird on Florals Embellished.  I don't have that cart, but I liked this image from ACY.  Since I need to make several anniversary cards, this worked great for me.  (Sorry the pic is not totally in focus!)

~dsp from the Paper Studio Mirabelle stack 

~shimmery white paper by Slice

~heart from Bazzill

~birds are from ACY, cut twice and just used the heart in red

~pearl accents

~EK Success ribbon

~stamp hand cut for the shape

Thanks for looking!!!!

best DAD - father's day card

I've been working on my card 'order' that includes the need for 4 father's day cards.   I don't know these men really well, but I do know that one of them just got his motorcycle license.  Inspiration!!

Challenges...
Mojo Monday - sketch
Cards for men - no dsp
Fantabulous Cricut - blue and cloud

I used...
~Cordinations cardstock
~Distressed stripes and Diamonds in the rough Cuttlebug folders
~motorcycle from EDPD - I cut it in red, black, and silver and pieced it
~cloud from EDPD
~ brads, tag, and string from my stash
~since for a man, I tore the paper rather than use a 'pretty' punch

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Birthday Wishes

Birthday cards are always fun and good to have on hand.  This one was made according to the sketch and recipe for a couple of challenges...

Tuesday Morning Sketches ~ sketch

Birthday Sundaes ~ lace and pearls, birthday wording

~Mulberry textured cardstock from J's for the card and shadows

~shimmer paper from Slice

~dsp from the Paper Studio Mulberry stack from HL

~computer generated sentement

~lace, pearls and bow from my craft and sewing stash

Thanks for stopping by!!

***** this card was chosen as a Super Sundae!!!!  See it HERE!!

Visions of sugarplums - Christmas card

I'm getting behind in my Christmas card making!!  For several weeks, I have missed the challenges at jingle belles.  This week the inspiration was a photo and the theme was visions of sugarplums.  I think I have mentioned that I am a traditional red, green, and gold Christmas person.  Sooooo... purple???  

I tried it... purple, dangling, sparkling.   I really like how it  turned out.

What I used:

~premade 5x7 card, vellum, Bazzill lt purple, silver Slice paper

~vellum embossed with Swiss dots Cuttlebug folder

~ornaments from Christmas Noel cart cut at 2 1/2" and 3 1/4" with blackout

~MS branch punch

~hemp, brads, and stamp

Thanks for looking!!

A 'note' to cheer

Note cards are wonderful to have on hand and this one will be fun to use to encourage someone.  Literally, it is a note (actually it's two notes) to cheer.  

For 2 challenges....
Stampin' Sisters in Christ ~~~ Prov. 10:20-21 - encouragement with a touch of silver
Whimsical Wednesday Take Shape ~~~ a shaped card

I had the eighth note in my shapes in MTC.  Shadowed it, copied the shadow, flipped it and welded for the card itself.  I cut the shadow once in the silver for the background and so that the front would be whole and not have a flat side on my note.  Cut the notes in black.  Printed the sentiment (it is actually on pink paper, but it doesn't look like it), tied with ribbon and put it on with pop dots.

Thanks for looking!!!

"enjoy the ride" masculine birthday

I'd much rather make a girly card than a masculine one, but since there are men in the world, it is necessary.   This is for a man in his 20's.

The car and 'enjoy the ride' are from Graphically Speaking.  All others were cut with my trimmer.  The dsp is Basic Grey Recess.  The silver is paper for the Slice but my Cricut loves it!!

I'm posting this in 2 challenges:
Fantabulous Cricut (rectangle and triangle)
Cricut Cardz Challenge (masculine birthday)  **Just realized that though I have a car, I don't have wheels! 

Thanks for stopping by!!!

floral birthday - crayon resist technique

New techniques are always fun and this is no exception... crayon resist.  That was the challenge over at Tuesday Morning Sketches this week.  They have a couple of links to great tuts, so go check it out!

I am also submitting this to Whimsical Wednesdays'  back-to-basics challenge to go 'old school' - no Cricut.  

This card is for a girl who likes petunias, so I found clipart, printed it, crayoned, oops, I mean colored,  and inked it.

cardstock, ribbon, brads, stamp all from my stash

Nestabilites for the shape

Thanks for looking!!!!

Happy Birthday - "we woof you"

I have not had much time for the craft room lately, but I got an 'order' for 11 cards yesterday.  I'd better get moving!!  Got 3 done last evening, so I'm off to a pretty good start.  

This card is for some kids to give their sister.  The inside says, "we woof you"!   (If you are like my kids and don't get it, that means 'we love you') 

Since I haven't done many challenges lately, I will submit this one to a couple...

BBTB2 -- sunglasses
Birthday Sundaes -- at least 3 circles, birthday wording

I used:

DCWV Blossoms and Butterflies paper

DT greeting at 2 1/2"

EDPD puppy at 3 1/2"

EDPD sunglasses (the paper is glittery but doesn't show in pic)

Bazzill circles at 2"

flower brads from J's

 Thanks for stopping by!!

Happy Birthday Dad

Here's a male birthday card for 'dad'   I need to start on Father's Day cards soon, but this came together better for a birthday.  My kids could use it for my hubby... his birthday is not until Nov.  If I use it, my dad's birthday is in Dec, so I'm really ahead of the curve this year!! :D

For 2 challenges....

Mojo Monday ~ sketch
Cards for men ~ for someone special

I used:

~Me & My Big Ideas family stack paper

~Inkidinkadoo b'day stamps
~Shapelies for the label

~'dad' tag

~grosgrain ribbon and buttons from my stash

Thanks for looking!!!

"Berry" special birthday card

I finally got back to making cards and then Blogger was down for 2 days, so I couldn't post anything!  Seems we're back in business now! :D

This is for 2 challenges...

BBTB2 ~ strawberry
Birthday Sundaes ~ 2 dsp, 3 embellishments, birthday wording
 

As soon as I saw that BBTB2 was asking for strawberries, this birthday card idea popped into my head.  I looked and "Oh no!"  I have no berries on any of my carts!!  

Soooo... I took the egg from DC and played with it in DS.  The stem is the bow from the package on DC, turned upside down and a little piece added.  (I forgot to weld the little piece)

I used:

~Doodlecharms for 'berry' (egg) and stem (ribbon upside down)

~Doodletype for 'happy birthday' shadowed

~DCWV summer stack paper

~Bazzill cardstock

~hand cut tag tied on with hemp, ribbon, and gel pen for doodling

Thanks for looking!!!!

Shoes, shoes, and more shoes!!

I am surrounded by 80 pairs of shoes!!!  Unfortunately, they are not size 6 1/2!  They are made of paper.   They are the favor holders for our church's Mother/Daughter Luncheon on Saturday.   They were fun to make except when I had to fight with my adhesive.  Grr!! 

Here they all are with the candy treat...

I found the Marie Antoinette shoe HERE  (* I did a pixel trace into MTC and widened the upper so that I could fit the treat in it)

I found the mule pattern HERE

Making this many, I did not have time to really make them fancy, but I am pleased with the result.  (And I just found out that there may be more ladies so I need to make a few more!)
I used the Paper Studio Mirabelle paper and K & Co Classic K 2 sided.   They took a LOT of adhesive, too.  I used my ATG because the little runners did not hold well enough.

update... here are a couple of pics of these set on the tables

Thanks for stopping by!!!