Be Kind

Hi!

I hope you've all had a great weekend, filled with fun things.  We got home from our vacation to Denver last night, and I already want to go back.  I LOVE Denver!!  I lived there for a few years, a while back, and I have been trying to get back ever since.  It just feels like "home" to me, almost like I'm supposed to be there.  It was awesome to catch up with old friends, and meet new ones.  This was my daughter's first trip to Colorado, and she has now fallen in love with Denver as well.  She did everything possible, in an effort to get me to extend our stay. lol  I'm fairly certain we'll be back there sooner than later. :o)

Now, onto today's crafty goodness.  I am happy to bring you my next card for the latest House of Cards challenge.  For all of the details on this weeks challenge, click HERE.

Since there are 5 Monday's in this month, this weeks challenge is an all play, so to say.  This means that all of the different design teams are participating.  There's an inspiration photo and you get to choose the type of style of your choice.  For this week, I chose CAS, again.  I'd really like to get better at CAS cards, and the only way to do that, is to keep making them.  I struggle with the color orange, so when I saw the inspiration photo, I was a bit stressed.  I decided that CAS was definitely the way to go, for me.  I really love this Be stamp set from Simon Says Stamp.  It was perfect in portraying the message I wanted to send to someone who's always struggling with anger issues. 

I've combined the following challenges in my card today:

Inspired By #85 - Inspiration Photo
Annabelle Stamps #168 - Sketch (my very loose interpretation)
Glitter & Sparkle #43 - CAS
Pile It On #30 - Anything Goes

I do hope you'll head over to the HOC blog to see all of the gorgeous cards that are posted today.  There are TONS and they're all pretty wonderful.  Maybe you'll get the chance to join us this week too!

I'll leave you with a few photos I took of our trip into the mountains.  This was Sydney's first time, and the look on her face was priceless!  She had a huge smile on her face the whole time we were up there.  That makes me happy.

 

Oh!  And before I forget, I was really excited to meet one of my favorite papercrafting idols, Laura Davis (A Day In The Life of The Paper Poppy, @healthy_mama).  I've been a huge fan since the early 2 Sketches 4 You days, so this was truly a highlight for me.  She was kind enough to fit us into her schedule, and joined us for lunch.  Let me tell you, she's even more beautiful in person, and she is as beautiful of a person on the inside as well.  We had a lovely time, and I'm so glad that I got to meet her.  Thanks again Laura!

Have a wonderful day!
Hugs!

Birthday Wishes

Hola y'all!

I hope you've had a wonderful Saturday, and that the weather is being nicer to you than it is to us here in NW Iowa.  I've got three teenage girls who have been at the pool for most of the day, and they're headed back for the midnight swim around 9pm.  I'm glad they're keeping themselves cool, and entertained. lol

I needed a birthday card for a friend, and this is what I came up with.  It's not too girly for a guy, is it?

If you know me, you know I have a difficult time with masculine cards.  I have taken on the approach that if I keep it simple, it works out better.  This is a good example of that, I believe.

I've combined the following challenges in my card:

Creative Belli #173 - Stars
Color Throwdown #250 - Bermuda Bay, Crumb Cake, Melon Mambo & So Saffron (I used colors I thought were close)
Freshly Made Sketches #94 - Sketch
CASual Fridays #109 - Polka Dots
Annabelle Stamps #167 - Polka Dots

I'm going to take the girls to dinner, then we're having shaved ice, before they head back to the pool.  I'll be back soon with another something fun.  I know Monday I've got two really cool posts going up for some new DT work.

Hope you'll check back soon!
Hugs!

Miss You

Hola!

I'd like to start off by wishing all of you mom's out there a late happy Mother's Day.  I do hope you were treated nicely, and had a wonderful day with family.  We got up and went to church, and then my daughter treated me to lunch.  After that we came home, and my daughter mowed my mom's yard, as her Mother's Day gift.  The rest of the afternoon, we sat around eating delicious food, and watching movies.  To say it was a lazy afternoon, is an understatement.  We enjoyed it quite a bit though.

I was lucky enough to get some time in to create another card.  My friend Rochelle, has a very unique style, and I am always envious of her projects.  She's got that "something" that I don't, that always make her cards fun and quirky.  Love that!  In my attempt to create something similar, this is what I came up with.

I recently got some wood veneer from Simon Says Stamp, along with some Mr. Huey's mists and templates.  I'm excited to be able to use them in a project.  I'm not sure who this is for, but I think it turned out quite adorable.  Those potty people are the cutest!  Also, the strip with the text along the bottom is a scrap leftover from my previous card with the butterfly.  I was determined not to let that scrap go to waste.  Anyway, I hope I did my friend proud by stepping outside of my box. :-)

I've combined the following challenges in my card today:

Just Us Girls #188 - Use white ink.
Paper Creators Challenge #8 - For the boys. (This is definitely going to a guy, when I find one! lol)
Annabelle Stamps Challenge #162 - Anything Goes
Crafty Catz #182 - Anything Goes
Delightful Challenge - Stash It (Use things from your stash - I used my Tim Holtz tickets, and the text background stamp from my stash)

Well that's it for me today.  I'm headed to drop Sydney off at school, and go to work.  I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Hugs!

Papercraft Star Challenge #116

Yola!

Happy humpday!  How has your week been?  The week is half over already, but I am still enjoying my time with my family, here in the midwest.  It's been nice.  I've woken up to cold, crisp mornings, and highs in the low 70's (maximum), and I've slept better in the last few days than I've slept in the last few months.  Although I could never live here again, it's always so refreshing to be here, visiting my mom.  I almost feel as if it's good for my soul.  Maybe that's kinda cheesy, but I know that I'm always so much more relaxed and revived when I get home, after a visit.

Anyway, onto why you're here.  I have another card to share with you today.  The theme today at Papercraft Star is:

Fall Colors!

 

I am in love with this photo!  It reminds me of being in Colorado in the fall, when the trees look this gorgeous.  Please keep in mind that the inspiration photos are always use if you choose.  You don't have to incorporate it into your project, as long as you stick with the theme.  Easy peasy, right?  Here is what I created for this challenge. 

 

 

I've had this embossed Core'dinations paper in my stash forever and thought it would be well used in this card.  I'm slightly disappointed with my Stampin Up! stamps at the moment.  They don't want to stick to my clear blocks.  In this case, the stamp feel off my block, after I stamped my sentiment, and caused the marks above the "Thank You" on my sentiment panel.  Unfortunately, I was pressed for time, and couldn't redo it.  Eh, I guess it's not terrible.  I added some bakers twine, at an angle, and a cute red button with a bow, and was done with it.  I like it, even with the "oops".  I've got another card for my stash, and I'm pretty sure this won't be the last time I have an accident like that. lol  I was also able to combine the following challenges in my card today.

Annabelle Stamps Challenge - Say It With...Thanks
Bloggers Challenge - Falling For You (fall colors)
Card Crafters Circle #43 - Autumn Colors
Card Makin Mama's - Fall
Crafty Catz #153 - Autumn
Retro Sketches #32 - Sketch
Stamptacular Sunday #184 - Photo Inspiration (fall leaves)

There are more gorgeous projects posted on the Papercraft Star blog today.  I absolutely adore them!  I do hope you'll get the chance to see what I'm talking about.  Maybe you'll get the chance to join us for this weeks challenge. :)

Have a wonderful day!
Hugs!

Heartfelt Thanks

Yay for Humpday!

As mentioned before, I love Wednesdays.  Not more than Friday or Saturday, but it is the turning point in my week, and means I only have to go back for two more days that week, instead of four more. lol 

I've got another card to share today.  One that I think is adorable.

I love this stamp, but this is the first time I've used it.  I actually have quite a few stamps that I own, but have never seen ink.  I am thinking I need to change that and start using them.  I've also decided to pull out a few items I've purchased, but haven't used yet either, and combine them into my cards from now on.  I've got tons of stuff that I just absolutely HAD to have, that I have yet to use.  Damn impulsive buying, I tell ya! lol  I've combined the following challenges into my card, although a couple may already be closed. 

Embellish Magazine Color Trends Challenge 9/2 - Blue, kraft, brown, and red, include stripes
Speedy The Cat's Friends Challenge #72 - Use a punch (the brown heart with the butterfly is a punch)
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle 9/10 - Thank You
Delightful Challenges 9/7 - Bling It
Cardabilities #38 - Sketch

Anyway, I'm off to work again.  I hope you'll stop by tomorrow for the next FYI challenge.  Don't forget, you can still play along with the first challenge of the month HERE.

Hugs!

Blue Skies Are Coming Your Way

Hola!!

I hope ya'll had a great weekend, filled with lots of crafting goodness!  As mentioned yesterday, I spent the weekend creating all kinds of things.  This week will be busy with posts.  :)

I think this next card is among one of my favorites.  Check it!

There is a lot going on in this card.  Lots of texture for sure.  The scalloped circle is actually a paper coaster I got at a restaurant not too long ago.  I loved the embossed texture it had, and definitely had some ideas running around in my head when I saw it.  I used my distress inks for the colors, it started off white, then I stamped a floral background stamp in water, and then I stamped my En Francais stamp in brown over that.  Not bad for a recycled paper coaster, huh?  I'm loving how it turned out.  I've combined the following challenges into my card.

Triplicate Trials Tuesday #8 - Sketch, Colors: red, orange & yellow,  Extra theme of Peace (they're having a blog hop as well)
Do You Stack Up #36 - Textures
Stuck On You 9/9 - Die Cut Flowers (my white rosette is a rolled flower die cut)
Just Us Girls #101 - Text as a background
Annabelle Stamps - Blooms/Flowers
Belli Challenge #125 - Acetate or Vellum (I have a transparency butterfly on my card, if you look hard enough)
Flutterby Wednesday #170 - Butterfly, open theme this week

Whew, talk about lots going on. lol  I'll be back soon with another card.  Don't forget, you still have time to join in on the latest FYI challenge.  It's open until Wednesday.  For all of the details, click HERE.

Have a good one!
Hugs!

Christmas Card Challenge Week #37

Hi ya'll!

So, after almost two months of over 100 degree temps and NO rain, I woke up yesterday and it was raining.  Yay!!  Finally.  I don't think we could have taken much more of the drought around here.  Everything is dead.  So sad.  Anyway, enough about that.  I just wanted to share that quick. :)

Today's CCC is Christmas Cheer.  Please keep in mind that the challenge is optional.  Any Christmas/Winter/Holiday card will do.  The idea is to help get your Christmas card stash started.  Also, you do not need to use a SCRS stamp to participate, but we sure love it when you do.  For this weeks challenge, click HERE.

I challenged myself to do a CAS card this week.  I like all of the details on my previous cards, but I wanted to try my hand at another CAS card.  I like how it turned out, and this weeks Annabelle Stamps challenge, which is to use Raspberry, Olive and Orange, was a perfect color combo for me.  I've also used this weeks Fall To Layout sketch (FTL153), which is paired with this weeks CASual Fridays challenge (CFC15).  I think it turned out cute.

We're getting closer to Christmas.  How many Christmas cards do you have in your stash?  I do hope you'll head over to see what the other designers have come up with today.  As usual, they're all very nicely done.

Have  a great day!
Hugs!