Congratulations, Hayden! Way to go!

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 This is my second post for today:

My grandson who is only 6 and in the first grade, received extremely high scores on his mid-year reading evaluation!  I'm not surprised that he is reading above grade level, but the scores were WAAAY up there!  He has been reading since he was 4, and there aren't too many books in my house that he can't pick up and read every word!  I am so very pround of him.  So, because he will be spending the next few days with us, we plan to reward him for his work.  Taking him to his choice restaurant for dinner,  rodeo on Saturday, and then his pick of movies from Blockbuster...  whee!

A peek into my private life...

Hayden playing soccer this past Fall.

I love October Afternoon's school themed papers! They aren't too babyish for the kids as they get older. And I am always up for some vintage!

The sentiment is from Stampendous, and the "brads" are simply gold office thumbtacks that I made rustic with StazOn and cut off the points then adhered them with Pop Dots!

I think the ribbon will get the message across that I think he is

Number One in my book!

 When it came time to make this card, I needed some inspiration. I found the best sketch at Skipping Stones Design, but had no stamps from them that would even come near what I wanted to express for a child. So, today I am fondly using their sketch and entering this in their challenge!  This experience tells me that I need to expand my SSD stamps past "girly" images!  (which I love, by the way!)

  And of course, I had to flip it!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

Jan

DYSU Challenge #56- RIBBONS!



First off, I'd like to wish all my Aussie blogging friends a

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!

Welcome to a new challenge at Do You Stack Up?! This week is all about
RIBBONS!!   
We all have yards and yards of those yummy things in our stash.  So let’s take them out and give them some good use. 

For this week we have four great sponsors:

Crafty Sentiments
 Winner's choice of 4 images 

The StampingBoutique 
 Winner's choice of 5 images 

Dearie Dolls 
 Winner's choice of 4 images 

The Ribbon Reel

Since I love using ribbons and bows on my cards, this was no challenge at all!

And that adorable little image is from Stamping Boutique.

Isn't she so, so sweet!

My Copics class last week was on hair, skin, and eyes, so hopefully my skills will be noticably improving!

Go check out the rest of the DT's projects!

Wherever you go...

One of the challenges this card is for is the Unity Stamp challenge,

which requires you to use ONLY Unity/Ippity stamps.  I don't have very many, so finding some that would be appropriate for the "New Beginnings" theme was interesting.  However, I have a friend who will be moving out of the 48 states from a warm, sunny climate to one very different! I thought this would be a nice message to send. 

I used two of the Ippity's stamps sets, Quotes a 'la Happy (IPK-135),

and Authentic Man (IPK-132).  Yep, those little "blades os grass" are actually the design from Authentic man turned sideways and heat embossed in a mix of gold, orange, and yellow sparkle (Just like my sun)  I stamped and embosssed the sun a second time onto print paper and cut out the center so it would really pop out from behind the cloud. (Actually the Nesties Labels 14). The bluebird of happiness is cut from DCWV pattern paper, Songbird, so as not to use any other company's stamps!

I really like the CAS look of this card.

 I think my friend will be warmed by the sentiment of this one!

This card will also be entered at:
Pollycraft Monday Challenge (Warm it up!)
Scrap It with A Song (It's the End of the World As We Know It)  :) Kinda says it, don'cha think?
Simon Says Stamp Challenge (Anything Goes)

Waltzing Mouse - Be My Valentine Sweetheart!

This week the challenge at Waltzing Mouse was so much fun!

For my DH this year! 

He has been so nice and understanding with all my medical issues and

doctor's visits of late! Changing medications and lack of

sleep has made me, at times,  a bit

difficult to live with, to say the least!

And in addition,
the sketch at City Crafters was almost identical, save for an added element, which I easily utilized in my card!
Also, this card is proudly submitted to the challenge at:
Sentimental Sundays (Die Cuts)  SWEET sentiment and heart (Nesties)
The Crazy Challenge (Vintage)
Creative Card Crew (Seeing RED)

I want Paris in the Spring!

I have always had a dream of visiting Paris and Rome, and Sydney, and well, you get the idea.  I would love to travel constantly! 

The "Greetings from Paris" stamps from Just Rite transport you there without ever leaving your scrapbook room!

 I love this set! And the color challenge at

Just Rite Inspiration 

allowed me to expres myself and maybe win some more great stamps!  Yum!

Colors are:  Light Blue, Dark Blue, Brown, and Pale Pink.

The image of the Eiffel Tower was a Clipart one I found online, ran it through Photoshop and changed it to blue with reduced opacity.  Makes for a nice postcard background.  Inked everything up for that sweet vintage look.

Supplies:
Paper:  DCWV, Tattered Time; Bazzill
Stamps: Just Rite, "Greetings from Paris"
Embossing die: Cuttlebug, "Fleur de Lis"
Die cut: Spellbinders, Nestie Labels Four
Ribbons:  Michael's
Resin flower: online purchase
Ink: T Holtz, Tea Dye Distress Ink;  Colorbox, Cyan

This card also qualifies for the challenge at:
PaperPlay Challenges

Have a great weekend! Stay warm!

What does this mean?

I saw the sketch challenge at Skipping Stones Design this week and immediately knew what I wanted to do.

I have friends who have NOT had a mammogram in, well,

let's just say a very long time.

Hopefully this card will reach one of them,

and the others (and you know who you are),

will see this post and consider what's at risk here.

I absolutely love this stamp set, Bras Volume 1.

It was my very first Skipping Stone,

and still remains my favorite!

Because I wanted to get to the heart of the problem,

I used a sentiment from another stamp set.

It just brought the message home so well.

I love the way the little stamped hangers popped off the embossed cardstock after I heat embossed them in black. And those bras are so much fun to stamp and color!  I can pretend I'm shopping at Victoria's Secret! I can also pretend I would buy a $60 bra! LOL!

So, no matter who you are reading this,

you are someone's daughter,

maybe someone's mother,

or sister...

Get a mammogram!

You DO matter!

And, go check out the challenge at Skipping Stones Design!

They have the coolest sketches and products!

Supplies:

Stamps: Skipping Stones Designs, "Bras Volume 1"; Verve, "Words of Wisdom"

Papers: Bazzill, Pattern Paper (unknown)

Embossing; Cuttlebug, "Swiss Dots"

Twine: The Twinery

DYSU Challenge #55!

This week the challenge is to use your

Pattern Papers!!!

Copic Marker Scrapbooking 6 Copic Ciao Markers (North/South America) Martha Stewart punch (rest of the world)

My Little Shoebox Surprise Goodie Bag

My card was paper pieced with pattern paper which is,

by the way, one of my favorite techniques!

Here's a close up of the pretty little image I used from Sparkle Creations, one of our previous sponsors.  She's called "Charlotte with a Rose".

I tied an embroidery bow around her waist and the flower stem.  I also cut a second tag and glued it over the first so that it would be more dimensional.

Enabling supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill

Sentiment: My Favorite Things, "Clearly Sentimental about Friendship".

Pattern papers:  DCWV, "Citrus"

Flowers: Prima Marketing

Copic Markers

Thanks for joining me again for another peek at the challenge this week at DYSU!

Check out the rest of the DT's projects!

Also, this card has been entered in the challenge at:

Pixie Dust Studio Pixie Challenge (Dots!)

 

Can you cay GRUNGE?

Well, over at  A Jillian Vance Design, the challenge this week is to make a "grungy" Valentine's card!  Now, I can do Classic, and Vintage, and Modern; but Grungy took a bit more thought.

I kept going to the "pretty and the old-fashioned sweet".... veered from the DARK side.
But eventually, I came up with this.  The problem also arose that I have only one Vallentine's stamp set.  (An older one from Recollections)

I wanted it to be a bit edgy with the black lace and embossed medallion, but couldn't resist throwing the resin swan piece on there!  All the reds match, I can assure you.  Don't you hate it when one surface reflects the light diffently than another?  ugh...
The black and gold Prima flower added a little grunge, too. Don't you think?

Dirtied up the Snug Hug bow some, and this is what I finished with.  I decided that GRUNGE is not my style. I have a hard time taking something relatively pretty, and making it look messy...just me and my age, I guess.

Check out the stamps at Jillian Vance's store!  She carries terrific products, and I especially love the sentiments stamp sets and we can all use more stamps!

This card also qualifies for the challenges at:
 Paper Sundaes (Favorite Challenge #92, Black, Flowers, and Distressing)
Stamptacular (Texture)
The Crazy Challenge (Tic Tac Toe / Lace, Image, Pearls)

Having "Commenting" issues?

I noticed that as of Friday, I was unable to open my comments and was getting a white screen on other blogs when I attempted to leave comments! Well, a great friend and fellow DT member sent me this link!
And it worked!
http://xxxtglxxx.blogspot.com/2012/01/blogger-issues-white-screen-no-comments.html

I figured I wasn't the only one having these problems as it appears things have been changed in the "netherworld" out there....

Good luck!

B-I-N-G-O!

I have a dear, dear 70 year old Great-Aunt living in the Midwest who absolutely loves playing Bingo!  I rarely get to see her, so I send her cards as often as I can. She is a real sweetheart. So, for the New Year and to add a bit of Valentine's feeling to it, I made this card for her.

I found the little joke online, and knew she would get a kick out of it. 

Entered in the "Spots and Ribbon"  at One Stop Craft Challenge!

I used the bingo game piece from Maya Road, and the card is from October Afternoon. 

 The inside of the card:

I used the challenge at Simon Says Stamp and Show this week that asks that we show "A Red Letter Day".... 
mine is to celebrate the beginning of a
Red Letter Year!

Thanks for endulging me and looking today!

Hope your weekend is fantastic!

SOG Bling time!

Some Odd Girl is having a challenge to add BLING to your SOG projects! 

Perfect!

I made this growth chart for a friend who just had her second child a few months ago. I am constantly in awe of how her first has grown SO much in the last 2 years!  It's been 35 years since I had the joy of measuring my own little ones and seeing how tall they've gotten!

The little Some Odd Girl characters are so adorable, and were perfect for this project!
Sorry about the shine on his eyes. I had used Glossy Accents to make them look more real and the camera caught it.  I even "planted" a little garden with silk vines and moss.

The top of the crackle painted board needed something to finish it off.

The puffy cloud makes the perfect topper.

It will look so cute on the hallway wall at their house!

Thanks for reading my blog today!

DYSU CHallenge #54

Those who know me, will probably say that PINK is the last color they expected to see on any project I make.  Actually, just like the bling, I'm warming up to it! 

A year or so ago, I did not see the reason to put rhinestones, or even pearls, on my cards or layouts. Now, I LOVE THEM! Still used in moderation, of course...

Our challenge this week is to use

Our sponsor this week is The Stamps of Life!

I have no granddaughters, and my own daughter is grown and married.

My friends are, like me, getting older and past the "pink" phases of a

young woman's life.

But, occassionally, a bit of pink splashes it's way into my life.

I can't explain it, but I actually find it, well, FUN!!!  LOL!

Here is my FUN card for the challenge this week.

I used the "hip2be..." stamp set from

The (Stamps) of Life

by Stephanie Barnard

As always, please join as a follower, if you haven't already.  And I always read and appreciate the comments left by those sweet enough to leave one!

And JOIN IN THE FUN at DYSU!!!

The January Stampendous Challenge is here!

I love Stampendous and all of their luscious glitter, mica flakes, embossing powders, and stamps!  I can let my vintage style run wild with a bit of bling added in!

Speaking of which, this month's challenge is to add

Bling!

   I started out by using a black card base.  I love throwing in a colored base on occasion to give my cards that glamorous look.

   I chose my background paper and cut 1/2" smaller than the front of my card.

   Then I decided what type of paper I wanted to stamp my image onto.  In this case, I chose a textured Bazzill cardstock in an ecru.  I cut that just 1/2" smaller than my previous background paper.

   The stamping was the best part! I stamped "Songbird" onto the cardstock in "Bamboo Leaves" by Momento, applying clear embossing afterward.  It looked very pretty at that point. But I needed more pop and bling.

   So, I touched the areas of the bird that I wanted glitter to adhere to with just a tiny bit of glue. Sprinkled it with blue glitter, and then a bit of Stampendous' magical Frantage "Shabby White Embossing Powder". This is, by far, my favorite of all the powders!  It was set by heating from the underside of my cardstock. This is Fran's Encrusted Jewel Technique. Watch the video here!  I also added it to the bottom 1 inch of my black card base.

   I added the "hello" from the Stampendous "Happy Messages" set.

   Now my card is ready to asssemble. No, not quite yet!  I needed a border at the bottom. I cut a 1 1/2" strip of musical note paper that would extend to the edge of my card base and scallop punched it.

   I then used my Zutter Dis-Strezz It All to rough up all the sides of my background paper and stamped image. 

   NOW it was ready to assemble!  I glued down the background paper, then the musical note strip. Then added the finished image.  I carefully placed little rhinestones along the border strip and added the little black double-bow ribbon and rhinestone.

P.S.  The card details are all straight.  When photographed, the bottom appeared crooked, but it was due to the slight warping of the cardstock when I applied the heat.  It will flatten as it sits.

I hope you have enjoyed walking through the steps of how I made my card. I know it got a bit lengthy, but the actual production is much simpler than it sounds!

This card will be posted on the Stampendous Photo Gallery, too! 

Go there to see more fantastic ideas!

Quick Quotes Trio!

They're having a Design Team call at

Quick Quotes,

and wouldn't that be a great team to be on!!!

I am definately crossing my fingers for that one! Those delicious papers and wonderful Powder Puff inks...yummy!

It would make my project creativity go up by leaps and bounds!

I have a layout that I created yesterday for the call...

Even though Quick Quote products were not required, I wanted to demonstrate how I would use their great paper colors and kit embellishments.

This layout was made from a kit I purchased some time back at an Expo.

I love that little garnet plastic grommet and those brads. I didn't use them the way the kit showed. Instead, I went with my own idea of gluing the brads to the grommet and hanging that gorgeous ribbon tie off of it. 

And those layered vellum letters were perfect! It's difficult to see in the picture, but the little ribbon piece under the photo matches the pattern in my grandson's shirt perfectly!

My second project was an accordian album that I have been wanting to make for a very long time.  I was very close to my maternal grandmother. So much so that I find myself patterning my entire life after her. She was a loving, but opionated, outspoken individual with a passion for enjoying life. Unfortunately, she passed away from cancer about 20 years ago...I miss her very much.

I left the cover fairly simple because the inside was going to contain so many details. 

Her name was added to the front after this was photographed. 

Much of the journaling was personal, and was also added after these photos were taken.

I love the way all of these "French Quarter" papers from Quick Quotes worked so beautifully together.  I inked all of the edges throughout the album with the

"Powder Puff, Midnight Confession" inks.

My mother has more pictures of my grandmother that I can add to these little pockets later. 

My grandmother was a hard worker.  This is her school ID photo from when she was an employee for the local school district.

When she was dressed up to go out, she reminded me a bit of Liz Taylor...

but then, I'm a bit biased.  (lol!) 

Don't these papers look gorgeous?

Loving to travel, my grandmother visited almost every state in the U.S.  And in her later years, enjoyed the occasional trip to Vegas!  Go, Grandma!!!

The little "Tattered Angel" tranparencies really look great on these papers, too!

This album will hold treasured memories for me for years to come.

My third project is a card that includes the adorable vellum dragonfly from

Quick Quotes.

Here's to a New Year, and the beginning of new memories!

Thanks for reading!