2 Precious!

My little "Yorkie/shih tzu is so adorable, I look at her and think, "How can SO much cute be in such a little package?" She is my constant companion when I'm here at home.

Lizzy turned 5 this year, and I can still recall the day we brought her home at only 5 weeks! She weighed just over a pound! 

Like I said, just too darn precious!

This layout will be entered over at Quick Quotes, Use a Number Challenge!

Thanks, Rhonda, for the heads up! 

Today I aspire to be....

Tara Orr!

As some of you know, I occasionally like to post about someone I admire in the scrap world. I have tooted the horn many times for Sarah Parker and Ashley Newell, among others. Today I HAVE to throw a word out there for Tara! If you aren't familiar with her magnificant scrapbook pages, you are in for a treat!

Tara layers so much goodness onto one sheet of cardstock, you can almost FEEL the textures and goodness coming over the screen!  Just look!

This picture was lifted from the Graphic 45 Gallery, so the quality isn't perfect. If you want to see all of Tara's projects, go to her website at:

http://eachmoment-onlyonce.blogspot.com/

I promise you, you won't be disappointed!  And even better, Tara is having a giveaway on her blog!  So many goodies!  One of us could end up being able to scrap with those scrumptious embellies and stamps that she uses!  And you all know how much I love the bling and the flowers, and the stamps, and the labels, and...well, it goes on and on...

Go check her out!

Yee-Haw, Cowboy!

This next Thursday is my husband's birthday.  Yea, another one!  At our age, they seem to roll around more often than every twleve months! Of course, my advantage is that he'll always be so much older!  LOL! 
Being a cowboy at heart, I know he always appreciates anything with a western flair!  When I get a few moments, I will post the little wedding album I finally put together from our small, fairly private ceremony 9 years ago. The few pictures that were taken were saved onto a slide show on disc and I never found out how to pull them off, or if you even can! So, the ones I did salvage were those taken with a second camera and not the best quality...but, I digress...
Here is the card I made for the DH, taking my inspiration from the sketch this week at Waltzing Mouse!  I am determined to win a stamp set because my wish list grows increasingly longer!!!

  First, the wonderful sketch....

My card:

Someone recently asked on the Waltzing Mouse FB page if others prefer taking pictures of just their card alone, or adding a prop of some sort...well, as you can see, I enjoy adding a bit of personality to my posts on occasion! 
Not always, sometimes the card is quite enough.

     For this card, I used some old denim I had saved from a pair of capris that no longer fit. I cut out and sewed the edges of a pocket.  Then added the tops from thumb tacks for the grommets. The little silver concho has been in my stash forever! And the last time I used jute on a card as rope, my husband loved it.

Wierd colors because the ink on the large tag matches the denim perfectly! Funny how the lights and camera can make them look so odd!  I also hand cut the big tag, but am due to pick up my new Nestie Labels 18 die next week!!!  Yea!!! 

I absolutely LOVE the way these labels are made to work with

Spellbinders so perfectly!

Inside of card:

Since he leaves on the morning OF his birthday for a 4 day historical rendevous in Williams, Arizona, I will put together a "goodie basket" for him to take along.  I know what treats he likes to eat while he's out and away. (All the ones we normally don't keep here at the house due to the poor nutritional value!  LOL!)

Products used:

Dies:  Spellbinders Nesties, Labels 4

Stamps: Waltzing Mouse; Vintage Labels 4, Vintage Labels 18, and Rescue Remedies Additions.

Inside sentiment: Fiskars; "Make a Wish Quotes".

Entered, of course, at the challenge at:

Waltzing Mouse!

Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge

I love this sketch! I don't know what it is.  Maybe it's the little row of elements, or that it's so perfectly balanced.  I like balance and symmetry in my life.  It's not always there, but I love it when it works out that way!

I also love these stamps by Waltzing Mouse!   There's very few stamps I DON'T love from them!  I constantly wish they were closer or the dollar would be worth more! LOL!  Those money conversions and shipping make it so difficult sometimes! But, I have to give in to my "desires" every now and then!  And "Rescue Remedies" was definately one of my "have-to-haves"!  My list does go on and on....
Well, maybe I should show you the sketch for this week!

Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge

I'm off to measure and move furniture in my scrap space!  The wheels keep turning as to how I can utilize my large room better. And get all this "stuff" organized and put away!  I may be too stiff and sore to move tomorrow or post anything!

 Wish me luck! I'm goin' in!...  LMAO!

Every Cloud....

has a silver lining.

I know it sounds corny, but who doesn't need a reminder that things will get better with a bit of time. 

This background was stamped first and then the sentiment and clouds added after.
This card was made for the Stamp-a-faire challenge #10 at "Capture the Moment", Papertrey's blog.  The challenge was to stamp the background in a lighter color than your focal point! What a simple concept, yet one we often forget and we just go grab that pattern paper.

I stamped the sentiment in a black contrasting ink, and then chose to go with the hand-cut WHITE clouds and ric rac to show up against the stamped background. So....a little black and a little white. This challenge DID prompt me to get out my retired larger stamp and make my own pattern background!  I like the results, simple.

Supplies:
Stamps;  Cornish Heritage Farms, SL-3162WUM
               Papertrey Ink, "Up Up and Away Sentiments"
Cardstock; Bazzill

Enjoy!

I will make this brief. I had a crown pop off my molar this weekend and had to go get it temporarily "glued" back in this morning.... my jaw is a bit sore.  I go back Thursday for my new bridgework...fun.
This is the sketch from Skipping Stones that prompted this card:

And my take, including the NEWSPAPER and COLOR challenges below:

I love the way the thick, textured yarn and the BOLD, heat embossed Tim Holtz sentiment looks against the delicate Skipping Stones butterfly stamps!

Ok, 'nuff said...my tummy's not feeling the best!  Better try and eat something.

Supplies:
Paper: Scenic Route; Stamps, Skipping Stones and Tim Holtz; Stock yarns and ribbon; Helmar 450 adhesive.

Challenges:
Skipping Stones Design (Sketch #65)
Embellish! (Color)
Simon Says Stamps (Newpaper pattern)

Thanks for looking and have a great week! 

Botanical Part Three, a Lily Tea Cup!

Ok, I keep saying the last one was my LAST one...but I have really, truly enjoyed working with these botanical stamps so much that I can't STOP! Each card has been so different, and the message so varied, that I feel like each one has a personality of it's own!  These are the ones I have a hard time parting with...LOL. But when I started making cards, I told myself that they are not for me to look at for years to come, but to bring joy and happiness to someone, even if only for a day. 

Between the sparkle green background paper and the heat embossed tea cup, this card really looks terrific IRL!  I am getting my use out of my Copics these days, and really think I am ready to take some serious classes.  It's hard to see in the photo, but even the wires are shaded slightly to appear more 3D.  This cup stamp is one of my favorite purchases this summer, so far....  Of course, the Stampin' Up botanical stamps that I picked up at a yard sale for almost nothing is WAAAY up there, too!

Supplies:
Paper:  DCWV, "Songbird" and "All About Girls"
Stamps:  Stampin' Up, "Lilies"; October Afternoon, "Vintage Labels"; and Verve, "Kindred Spirits"; Layers of Color, "Chicken Wire Tea Cup"
Copics Markers
Zva pearls

So, once again, this card is for the Moxie Fab World "Fanatical about Botanicals" challenge.

Also entered at : Crafty Catz (No Pink or Blue)
Paper Cutz (Anything Goes)

More at Four, Botanicals, that is.....

I simply keep thinking of just "one more idea" for these fantastic floral stamps!  I think Stampin 'Up only made a dozen or so. If that's the case, I'm almost halfway there! LOL!

Hard to see in the photo, but the stamens have just a touch of gold stickles to make them stand out and match the gold rhinestones.  All I know is that I have quite a collection of cards for any occasion all made up and ready to go!

Supplies:
Cardstock; Core'dinations
Embossing Folder; Cuttlebug "Textile"
Die cut; Spellbinders Nestie, Lg Deckled Rectangle
Stickles; Copics markers; Studio 18 rhinestones

You know the drill...
Entered into challenges at:
 Moxie Fab World, Fanatical about Botanical
 Simon Says Stamps (Newspaper)
Kaboodle Doodle (Embossing)
Paper Cutz (Anything Goes)

Botanical Part Two, A Rose!

I absolutely love these vintage botanical stamps!  They are so much like the old etchings that were used in the original botanical books.

Thanks, Cath, at Moxie Fab World for bringing the July/August issue of Paper Crafts to my attention!  I am loving coloring these stamp images with my Copics!

A little modern paper from 7Gypsies, a simple paper doily, and a Die-namics cut doily from My Favorite Things, a bow here, a vintage button there...and you have a fairly pretty card for someone who really loves flowers.  I think I know just who will love this....

This card was made for the 

Moxie Fab World, Fanatical about Botanical Challenge.

Birthday Wishes!

My DIL loves dogs (they have three) and she likes nothing more than birthday cards with any kind of animal on them.  This card is cute, but what makes it better is the sentiment inside.

She works long, hard hours and I think a reminder to "slow down" is a very reasonable and helpful birthday tip!

And it seems that "Animals" are very popular this week with some of the challenges, which works wonderfully well for me! Also, this week's Verve Stamp challenge is to use a paper you have been "hoarding" saving for a while. The background paper is Cosmo Cricket paper that already has these wonderful inked and stamped images on it. For the flower shape behind the colored image, I simply ran the die cut flower shape through my Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots, and it added some needed texture.  I used Verve's "Elegant Leaves" die cut along with one of the the "Bloom and Grow" stamps!  I love this set. It makes lining up the die with the stamped image SO easy!  And the leaves look so nice heat embossed!  POP!

Entered in:
Verve Stamps July Dive Dare (Sentimental about Paper)
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge (Animal Antics)
Creative Card Crew (Animal Antics again)
Fab n Funky Challeges (Animal Magic)
Crafting for all Seasons (Furry Friends)

I haven't been chosen for a challenge win is some time, so perhaps the little dog will bring me luck!  Unfortunately, I can't even give the digital artist credit. This image has been on my computer for a long time with no label...Sorry!  But I do take credit for coloring him!

Waltzing Mouse Challenge!

I wasn't about to make the same mistake this week as last!  I had totally forgotten that the Waltzing Mouse challenge ends at NOON on CST Friday here in the good ol' USA and about 1:00 in the afternoon, had just finished my post (thinking I had hours before midnight) and went online to see how many entries were already posted....needless to say, the words "Collection Closed" nearly made me cry.  Never again! So, here's THIS week's sketch challenge:

Here's my take. My first holiday card for 2011:

Hard to believe I was actually in the mood to create a Christmas card when the temperature outside is 108!  Maybe it was my way of escaping this

Summer's heat for just a bit.

Used:
Papers: Paper Studio, Heartwarming Holidays
Stamp:  Waltzing Mouse, Rescue Remedies
Die:  Spellbinder's Nestie #4
Bling: Studio 18

Also entered at:
Paper Sundaes (Xmas in July)
The Crazy Challenge (Xmas in July)

Botanical Part One, with a Flourish!

This card was made for both the Fanatical About Botanical Challenge in the Moxie Fab World and Flourishes challenge.  I saw the purple in the Flourishes Timeless  photo and knew THAT'S the color I wanted to use for my Magnolias!  Ilove an excuse to get out  my Copics, and trying to blend on porous dictionary paper was a new experience for me! 

I dyed the seam binding with the ink to match the card, then wet and crinkled it.

Supplies:

Bazzill cardstock; Dictionary page; Magnolia Stamp, Stampin' Up; Copics markers; Hug Snug seam binding; Creative Living Ink Pad, Iris; Momento, Rich Cocoa ink; K & Co fabric brad.

Also entered in Simon Says Stamps (Anything Goes)  to get that entry number up WAAAY over 1000!  Yea, Simon Says!!!  

Do You Stack Up? (Stitching)

Celebrate Summer!

I know when it's 110 outside and the humidity is sky high, it's REALLY hard to think about enjoying this Summer in Phoenix!  But I like to make the best of it and try to pass on positive thoughts...it's not working....lol! We are all so sick of this heat, and it's only mid-July! Ugh! 

I used the sketch at My Mind's Eye and dug through my stash of MME papers to use some of what I already had. The lime and red really says "celebrate" to me!

Entered in challenge at My Mind's Eye, Celebrate! and
Simon Says Stamps (Anything Goes) Congratulations!

Papers: MME, "Nice Ride"  and another Abbey Road pattern (sorry, the name had been cut off!)

Memories...

For a friends' mother who lost her sister to cancer.

Products used:
Background paper, DCWV, "Le Creme" matstack
Paper for Butterflies, an old song book
Stamp, Rubber Stampede
Lace, JoAnn's
Butterfly punch, Martha Stewart
Pearl bling, Zva Creations

Contests entered:
Stamp It! Cards Week Challenge in the Moxie Fab World
Crafty Catz, "Vintage look" card
Simon Says (Anything Goes)  Congratulations!

A beacon of comfort...

     That's what a very close, dear friend of mine offered up even if she wasn't completely aware of how huge her generosity was!  When the temperature here in Phoenix hit 118, she insisted I fly out to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin for a visit.  She and her husband have semi-retired there from St. Louis and have an absolutely beautiful home only a few miles from Lake Michigan on the East, and not much further from the Green Bay on the West, in scenic Door County.   It was a comfortable 75-80 degrees and breezy the whole time I was there. It was lighthouse and winery tours, visiting big boats, and lounging on a beach that was almost our own private little oasis.
     So, when I returned home and saw that the challenge for "Embellish It" was Nautical and had the perfect colors, I knew I needed to get right on that Thank You card!

Here's a peek....

I cut a small window out of the front and framed it in this adorable Click-Art life preserver.  Then I stamped the lighthouse image onto the inside of the card.  I had completely forgotten that I had purchased this Stampin' Up set at a yard sale while visiting another good friend in Tucson recently.

The background paper was run through my crimper and inked to resemble a weathered, tin wall.  I love the texture of it IRL. 

The cute little heat embossed anchor is one of the MANY Snag 'Em stamps I've acquired, not sure how or when I would ever use them.

I was so thrilled to see so many various kinds of lighthouses and get the chance to see a part of America that I've never ventured to before.  It is my hope that my gratitude shows in this card.

Inside sentiment:

Sorry about the poor quality of the photos, but I realize now how difficult it is to photograph a card that has a cut-out opening and still make it stand level and upright. I assure you that it is...LOL. 

Skipping Stones Design sketch used:

The stamp from Skipping Stones was the simple little "Thank You" on the front. It was important to find just the right sentiment, and this one seemed to fit the bill! 

All I had to do was bend it a bit to accent the curve!

Supplies:

Tools:  Fiskars crimper; Creative Memories Circle Cutter, Marvy Heat Tool

Click-Art Life Preserver Image;  Lighthouse stamp and sentiment, "Stampin' Up;

"Thank You" sentiment, Skipping Stones Designs, "Birthday Purses";

White cord, Hancock Fabrics; Helmar 450 Adhesive

Entered into challenges at:

Embellish It, Nautical/Color Trends Challenge

Skipping Stones, Sketch Challenge 

The Crazy Challenge, "Summer" theme

Simon Says, "Anything Goes"

Trendy Girl!

I absolutely love the vintage products out there, and that includes the wonderful tweed patterns and retro patent leather look!

The sketch I used was from Skipping Stones Design, as were the stamps on this card!  Aren't they fantastic!  Love that sentiment!

I heat embossed a large surface with clear on bright red textured Bazzill cardstock, then stamped the purse image onto that. Then I stamped the image again and heat embossed the black bow. Fussy cutting that little begger was fun!  LOL!

The red belt was done the same way.  It looks exactly like patent leather!

The sketch:

Don't you love that purse and belt?  I want one IRL!

Inside sentiment:

Sorry, it didn't show up very well in the photo,

but the little gold designer label is SOOO cute!

This card was so much fun to make. I was up till after midnight working on it, and then Blogger went out and I couldn't post...Yikes! 

I laid awake forever worrying about the cards for today!

Supplies used:

Paper: DCWV, Lady Couture

Stamps;  Skipping Stones Designs

Bow; Offray

Ribbon; JoAnn's

Ink; StazOn

Embossing powder;  Stampendous!



Hey, Soul Sister!

I love this sentiment from My Favorite Things! It really says it all.  I'm all caught up in the while "vintage" look, and these doilies and sewing icons really make card making fun!
The sketch I used was from MFT, Wednesday Stamp Club, and with a bit of help from Cath over at Moxie Fab World with her Trigger Tuesday image,  I took the vintage doily with the Retro patterned paper and made this card with a heartfelt message!

 Tuesday Trigger Card from Moxie Fab

A peek at my card:

My version, flipped, of course!

Now that Blogger's back to letting me have access, I can relax and have my morning tea.

Will come back after and list my supplies!

Proudly entered in the challenges at My Favorite Things and Moxie Fab World!

Supplies:

Paper;  DCWV, Mod Retro pad

Dies; MFT, Dainty Doily Dies

Sentiment; MFT, Clearly Sentimental about Friendship

Punch; Martha Stewart

RicRac; Bazzill Basics

Paper Doily; Wilton

Scissors charm; Ebay