So Thrilled You Picked Me

Hiya!

Here we are at another Wednesday.  I'm super excited though, again.  In just a couple more days the weekend will be upon us, and I will get to sleep in.  Woo hoo for sleeping in! lol  I was looking through my card stash, and realized that I have very few "cute" cards.  I always seem to do "classic and elegant", I'm told, so I wanted to try adding some other types of cards to my collection.  Here is the one I made last night.

I'm glad that I ordered some Paper Smooches stamps.  They have the most adorable images, that work well for cute cards.  I'm going to enter this card into the following challenges.

Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #271: Inspiration Photo & Ribbon (hope my lace qualifies)
Paper Smooches SPARKS Challenge: Sketch

I'm off to start my day, and hopefully get things caught up enough that I don't have to work from home this weekend.  I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Stay crafty my friends!

What's In It?
Paper: Papertrey Ink Sweet Blush cardstock, SU Very Vanilla cardstock, SU Pink & Baja Breeze patterned paper, MME Lost & Found Rosy patterned paper
Stamps: Paper Smooches Vegtastic
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black pigment ink, Copics G43 & BV17
Accessories: SU Victoria Lace, Memory Box Tilth Floral die

You Make Me Happy

Yola!

The weather here has been absolutely gorgeous the last couple days.  Highs only reaching the mid to upper 70's with a nice breeze.  It almost feels like fall already.  Unfortunately, I've heard many people say that this winter is going to be brutal in this area.  I'm hoping they're wrong. lol  For now I'll just enjoy the sunshine and warm weather hoping it continues for a while.  Because of the beautiful weekend, I was inspired to make something "summery".  Here is what I wound up with.

 
I adore this stamp set.  When I was a child we lived in Brownsville, TX, for about two years.  Back in the summer of 1980, hurricane Allen hit the coast.  It was recommended that we evacuate the area, so we headed to San Antonio, to stay with my grandparents.  On the drive up, my mom taught me the song "You Are My Sunshine".  Since then, it has always been our thing.  When I was young, she used to leave me notes in my lunchbox with the lyrics to the song, and as I got older, she'd email me or text me the lyrics to let me know she was thinking about me.  When I saw this set from CAS-ual Fridays, I knew it had to be mine.  Now she'll get a few cards and notes randomly tucked into things, to surprise her.  For this card, I was excited to combine the following challenges.

Just Us Girls Challenge #251: Summer BBQ Photo Inspiration
Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #29: Sketch
The Pink Elephant Challenge #26: Anything Goes

I hope that everyone has a wonderful day, and that you have someone who makes you happy, when skies are gray.

Stay crafty my friends!

What's In It?
Paper: Orange Shimmer cardstock, Teal cardstock, SU Whisper White cardstock, Simple Stories Snap Life patterned paper
Stamps: CAS-ual Fridays Sunbeams
Ink: Hero Arts Neon Pink & Neon Sunshine dye ink
Accessories: Smooth Circle Nestabilities, Stitched Olive Grosgrain ribbon

My Whole Heart

Good Monday to all!

I hope everyone is off to a great start to their work week.  I feel like the weekend flew by, and I didn't really do anything but make cards.  Love that!  I wanted to make a card that was bold, and bright to send to R, but wasn't sure what to do.  Then, I remembered something he wore to the gym not too long ago, and had an "a ha!" moment.  He LOVES the bright neon yellow that is so popular lately, and I just happened to have received all of the Hero Arts Neon inks recently.  This is how things turned out.

This bright neon ink is fabulous!  In my picture it looks a bit more orange, but in real life it's definitely neon.  The contrast of the bright dots with the dark chevron stripes made me super excited, and I love the small pop of color added with the pink heart.  This card is bold, like R's personality, and it's bright and cheerful like his smile.  I wasn't in love with this card at first, but it's growing on me.  It looked like very simple card at first, but the more I look at this picture, there seems to be a bit more going on.  I could totally see a room in our house with these colors. lol  I was excited to combine the following challenges on my card.

Simon's Wednesday Challenge: Emboss It
CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #134 - Tic Tac Toe (Dots, Gray, Twine this time)
The Paper Players Challenge #206: Sketch
Pile It On Challenge #30: Embossing (the background panel with the dots is embossed with the Diamond Plate embossing folder)

Wishing all of you a great week! 

What's In It?
Paper: SU Basic Black cardstock, SU Whisper White cardstock, SU Basic Gray cardstock, Simon Says Stamp Card Kit chevron patterned paper (from last year, I think it may be something from Amy Tangerine)
Stamps: Reverse Confetti Crushin', Papertrey Ink Polka Dot Basics 2, Simon Says Stamp All About Love
Ink: Hero Arts Neon Yellow dye ink, Hero Arts Neon Pink dye ink
Accessories: Diamond Plate embossing folder, Reverse Confetti Tag Me Confetti Cuts, SU Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon, Anabelle Stamps Natural Twine

Peace, Love and Sparkly Stuff

Happy Sunday!

I can't believe the weekend is almost over already.  It seems like just a few minutes ago, the weekend was just beginning.  I'm happy that it was pretty relaxing around here, and that I was able to spend lots of time in my crafty space.  I feel so refreshed to have my creative mojo back.  I love being able to build my stash again too.  Here is the next card I have to share with you.

I think this is one of my favorite Christmas cards this year, so far.  And, I love that the jingle bells jingle. *giggle*  I am determined on mailing cards out this year, with a photo of the four of us, so I'm glad I have another to add to the box.  I'm going to enter this into the following challenges.

Jingle Belles: Taking A Header (create a card based on their blog header)
Merry Monday Challenge #118: Ribbon & Buttons (thanks MarieB for introducing me to this challenge)
Christmas Card Challenge #35: Anything Goes

This card helped inspire something we have been working on lately.  As of 9pm last evening, we now have colors chosen.  The wedding will be small and intimate, with family and close friends only, surrounded by deep purple, silver and black.  We're still working on the guest list, but at least we're making progress on everything.

I really love the deep, rich purple and since it's a winter wedding, I think it fits perfectly.  I think he'll look very handsome in a gray suit with a black vest and deep purple tie.  I'm off to finish laundry, and head out to watch some of my daughters friends play in the beach volleyball tournament today.  It's only supposed to be a high of 76, so it's going to be fabulous outdoor weather.  I hope ya'll have a great day!

Stay crafty my friends!

What's In It?
Paper: Papertrey Ink Kraft cardstock, SU Very Vanilla cardstock, SU Purple patterned Paper, Bo Bunny Cream patterned paper
Stamps: Reverse Confetti Tinsel 'N Trim
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black dye ink
Accessories: Jingle bells, Silver trimmed white satin ribbon, Maya Road wood button

Just For You

Hi!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend, so far.  The day started off with my daughter and I joining my coworkers, in the local Tall Corn Days parade, representing my company.  Tall Corn Days is a festival held each year, in celebration of the town's history.  There is tons of fresh sweet corn, and lots of activities for both adults and children.  We had a blast handing out candy, t-shirts and other items with my company's logo on them.  It was a nice morning also, so we didn't mind the 5 mile walk.  After the parade though, it got gray and overcast, and sprinkled for a bit.  Perfect time to make a card, right?  I thought so too.  Here is what I made.

I saw the most beautiful sunset not too long ago, and tried to recreate it on my card.  I just got some new Avery Elle stamps that were perfect for my idea.  The embossed cardstock is a very pale blue, although it looks almost white.  I randomly placed some sequins and gems, although I have the most difficult time making them look "random".  Anyone else have that issue? lol  I'm going to add this to my stash, and send it to someone special, when they need a pick me up.  I'm excited to participate in the newest Fusion Card challenge.  You can see the beautiful inspiration photo and sketch I used for this card, HERE.  I love it when ideas turn out almost exactly how you picture them in your head.

I'm off to use my time wisely, and try to get a couple more cards done before the concert tonight.  I hope everyone has a wonderful afternoon!

Stay crafty my friends!

What's In It?
Paper: SU Whisper White cardstock, SU Very Vanilla cardstock, Bazzill Light Blue cardstock
Stamps: Avery Elle Bright Days, WPlus9 Damask Frames
Ink: Avery Elle Orchid & Pixie pigment ink, Tumbled Glass distress ink, Simon Says Stamp Smoke dye ink
Accessories: Smooth Circle Nestabilities, Musical Flourish embossing folder, Prima Laraine flowers, Simon Says Stamp Chantilly Crème sequins, Zva Creative Gems, Scalloped Heart Lace, Maya Road Twine

More Than Ice Cream

Whew!

Today was a very long day, but I managed to get one more card made.  Woot!  I am happy to report that my daughter is feeling much better, thank goodness.  We're going to try to grab some dinner, and then be total bums for the rest of the evening.  Hoping she's well enough to be in the parade tomorrow morning.  Guess we'll see.   

Anyway, here's my next card.

I love the goodies in my August Simon Says Stamp card kit.  The stamps are adorable, and the sentiments are too cute.  My daughter is not a fan of ice cream, so I think this will be perfect to slip into her backpack, for her to find during the school day.  I apologize, but my colors look a bit washed out.  Not sure what happened there.  The script in the background is pink, as is the light color on the popsicle.  I'm glad I made it just in time, to enter the following challenges.

Retro Sketches #124: Sketch (my loose interpretation)
Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #270: Rose, Lime & Pool

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Stay crafty my friends!

What's In It?
Paper: SU Whisper White cardstock, Papertrey Ink Kraft cardstock, Turquoise cardstock, Simon Says Stamp August card kit patterned paper
Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Ice Cream Dream, SU French Script background
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black dye ink, Simon Says Stamp Cotton Candy dye ink, Copics RV00, YG06, BG01
Accessories: Smooth Circle Nestabilities, Paper Smooches Streamers wise dies

With Sympathy

Good day ya'll!

I'm so glad today is Friday!  Unfortunately, I'm home with a sick child.  Even though she's almost an adult, this kind of sick needed "her mommy", as she put it. lol  We were up most of the night with projectile vomiting and everything else that comes with an upset stomach.  Thankfully, my supervisor allows me to work from home when I need to.  She's asleep now, so I hope she feels better soon. 

Recently, one of my good friends lost his grandmother.  She was the sweetest woman.  She always took care of all of us, not just her grandkids.  She will be deeply missed.  Here is the card I am going to send his family.

I dislike making sympathy cards, when they have a purpose.  I just hope they find comfort in knowing she's no longer suffering and is in a better place.

I've combined the following challenges in my card.

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Emboss It
CAS(E) This Sketch Challenge #86: Sketch
CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #134: Tic Tac Toe (I chose sequins, embossing & twine)

I'm off to finish working on a few things, and if I get caught up, maybe make another card.  I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Stay crafty my friends!

What's In It?
Paper: Dark Brown Bazzill cardstock, SU Very Vanilla cardstock, Bo Bunny Cream Polka Dot cardstock, Cork paper
Stamps: CAS-ual Fridays Casual Comfort
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black dye ink, Frayed Burlap distress ink
Accessories: WPlus9 Chevron Embossing plate, MFT Simply Scallops Medium die, SU Little Leaves die, Clear Sequins, Maya Road Twine, Prima Flowers, Paper Studio Pearls

You Are My Anchor

Happy Humpday everyone!

I'm SO excited that today is Wednesday.  That means in just three days I get to sleep in.  As I mentioned before, we have a newly remodeled upstairs in our house, and with the new remodeled rooms, we all got new bedroom and landing furniture.  I didn't even realize how much I needed a new bed, until I got one.  OMG, do I love my new bed!!  I'm sure you can tell that if it were up to me, I would spend as much time as I could in my new bed.  Do any of ya'll feel the same about sleeping and new beds?  I love to sleep. lol

Anyway, onto today's card.

I needed a card for my best friend.  He's been my friend for many years, and he has always been there for me, unconditionally.  Since I hadn't made him a card in a while, I thought this was a perfect time to do so.  I think he'll love it, as he has a sailboat, and loves to be out on the water.  I tried to use the stencil to create a somewhat looking net.  I sponged on some distress ink and then added Mr. Huey's in dark brown to try to represent the dark specs in the sand and white for the surf.  Not sure I achieved what I was going for, but it still looks decent.  There are lots of new Simon Says Stamp and Avery Elle goodies on this card.  I {heart} new goodies!  I was excited to combine the following challenges in my card.

Wanna Sketch #18: Sketch
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge (7/21): A Mid-Summer's challenge (I chose nautical)
Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge #210: Sponging or Stencils (I have both)

Just an update, we have chosen a wedding date...12-31-15.  It was mostly his idea, and because this is the first time he's ever been married, I wasn't going to rain on his parade.  New Year's Eve is pretty cool for a wedding though, and we'll have more than one reason to celebrate each year.  Now, if we could just agree on the guest list and colors (yes, he's involved in everything!!). lol  I hope you have a wonderful day!

Stay crafty my friends!

What's In It?
Paper: Blue Shimmer cardstock, Bazzil Red cardstock, SU Whisper White cardstock, Fancy Pants "Nautical" patterned paper
Stamps: Avery Elle "Knotty"
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black dye ink, Copic Y28, Silver Uniball Signo pen, Ranger Scattered Straw & Old Paper distress ink
Accessories: Tim Holtz Honeycomb stencil, Studio Calico Wood Veneer Stars, Nestabilities

My Person

Hola!

I hope your week is going well, so far.  As mentioned, I have another card to share with you today.  Aside from trying to make more masculine cards, I'm also trying to make more CAS cards.  I struggle with both, so what better way to get more experience than to make them, right?  Here is the next card for you to see.

I just recently got my first couple sets of CAS-ual Fridays stamps.  I always tell R that he's "my person" so this stamp set had to be mine. lol  I'm certain you can figure out who be the recipient of this card.  I dig how this turned out.  I was happy to include the following challenges in my card.

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge ##133: Summer Lovin' (include hearts in summer colors)
The Paper Players Challenge #205: CAS Monochromatic

I'm off to work, but I'll be back again soon, with another card.  I hope you have a great week!

Stay crafty my friends!

What's In It?
Paper: SU Very Vanilla & Whisper White cardstock, Bo Bunny (from a couple years ago) & Simon Says Stamp patterned papers (from one of last years card kits)
Stamps: CAS-ual Fridays Cupid's Arrows, SU French Script background stamp
Ink: Antique Linen distress ink, Memento Tuxedo Black dye ink
Accessories: CAS-ual Fridays Cupid's Arrows dies

Cuteasaurous

Hello, hello!

It'll probably be a busy Monday morning, but I am relaxed, after creating a couple of cards yesterday.  I'll be posting them throughout the week, along with a couple more I plan on making.  I don't usually color anything, and I don't make a lot of masculine or boy cards, so I challenged myself to do both for today's card.  Here is how it turned out.

 
I think it's quite adorable.  My sister has a nephew on her husband's side, who is almost a year old.  I think this would be a great card for him.  I was happy to combine the following challenges in my card today.

Seize The Birthday: Twine or String
Just Us Girls Challenge #250: Turquoise, Green & Lime
Paper Smooches SPARKS Challenge: Anything Goes

I'll be back with another something crafty soon.  I hope ya'll have a wonderful week!

Stay crafty my friends!

What's In It?
Paper: SU Whisper White cardstock, SU! Tempting Turquoise cardstock, Simon Says Stamp Turquoise Chevron Stripe & Green patterned paper (from one of last years kits)
Stamps: Paper Smooches Little Fella, Sentiment Sampler & Cuteasaurous
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black dye ink, Copics G43 & G46
Accessories: May Arts Natural Twine, Basic Grey Metal Stars

Ho Ho Ho

Greeting friends!

I'm back from a weekend of scrapbooking with a couple friends, in Sioux City, and I am sad to say that I didn't really get anything accomplished. lol  I did lots of shopping though.  Not just for crafty stuff, but for our upstairs.  We recently remodeled all of the upstairs bedrooms and landing, and we needed a few things.  Thank goodness for Hobby Lobby! :-)

I did manage to make one card though. 

I love how this turned out!  I'm usually not great with CAS type cards, but this one looks pretty neat, in my opinion.  And you know how I LOVE non-traditional Christmas cards.  I've combined the following challenges into my card.

Christmas Cards All Year Round July challenge:  Non-traditional colors
Reverse Confetti July Color Challenge:  Coral, Aqua & Lime
Case This Sketch Challenge #85:  Sketch

I'm off to unpack, and then try to get something else created.  I want to stock up on my stash, the stash for my sister, and my Christmas cards.  I hope everyone has a great Sunday afternoon!

Stay crafty my friends,

What's In It?
Paper: SU Whisper White cardstock, Bo Bunny Teal patterned paper (sorry don't remember the name)
Stamps: Reverse Confetti Tinsel 'N Trim, Simon Says Stamp Holiday Envelope Sentiments
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black dye ink, Simon Says Stamp Cotton Candy dye ink
Accessories: Simon Says Stamp Eliza Snowflake die, MME Lime Enamel Dots "Pretty Things"

Imperfection

Hi ya'll!

It's been really odd, weather wise, here in Iowa this week.  Overnight lows in the 40's and highs only in the low 70's.  It makes it perfect for staying indoors to make stuff. lol  I'm headed to Sioux City to scrapbook with a couple of friends this weekend, so I'm trying to get a couple cards done before I go.  I need to send a box of cards to my sister, since her stash is getting low.  I had R (my fiancée) pick the colors for this, and went from there.  I'm kind of excited at how well these colors went together.  To be honest, when he first told me what colors he wanted, I was stumped.  In the end, I think it turned out pretty nice.

I used some of my new Simon Says Stamp stash, and think my sister will enjoy having it to give away.  I'm going to enter this into this weeks Retro Sketches challenge (#123).

I'll be back soon with another something crafty.  I hope everyone is having a great week!

Stay crafty my friends!

 

What's in it?

Paper: Papertrey Ink Kraft cardstock, SU Whisper White cardstock, Kaiser Craft Be-YOU-tiful patterned paper, Vellum

Accessories: May Arts Twine, Studio Calico Brown Sequins, Zva Creative Clear Gems

For You

Well hello there, my long lost friends!

I hope everyone is doing well, and have stayed busy crafting.  I didn't realize it had almost been a year since I last created anything, but looking at my last blog post says it all.  A lot has happened over the last few months.  Just to sum up a bit...things at home are now completely settled, my daughter finished her sophomore year with a 3.8 GPA, softball season came and went, my daughter is now officially driving, I'm down about 45 pounds since the beginning of the year, and I am recently engaged.  Whew!  I'll include a couple photos at the end of this post, so you can see how much fun we've had. lol

Onto why I'm posting today.  My creating and photography skills are a bit rusty, but I managed to get a somewhat ok photo of the somewhat decent card I made this weekend.  Check it out....

I'm pretty happy with the outcome, considering it's my first card in a while.  I'm happy to say that the papercrafting bug has bit again, and I will be posting projects more frequently again, hopefully.

For this card I was able to combine this weeks FTL Sketch challenge (#299) with this weeks JUGS challenge (#249) which is Woodgrain, and the new Curtain Call challenge, which is Anything Goes.

I hope you'll stop by again soon.  I'll be catching up on visiting all of you again now too, very soon.

Stay crafty my friends!

 

 

What's in it?

Paper: Brown, White, Teal cardstock, Studio Calico patterned paper, Vellum

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp "Happy"

Accessories: Woodgrain embossing folder, Studio Calico Wood Veneer stars, Nestabilities Smooth Circle dies