Stamping with Serendipity

{cQc #123} Love U! ♥

2012-02-11T13:54:00.002-06:00

Yes, I've created another Valentine for you today! ♥ Please pretend it's yours, because I really do ♥ all of U, my dear blog readers!

This one was created using the *fun* color combo of Peach Parfait, Regal Rose and Poppy Parade. I never would have thought to put these 3 colors together, but Arielle did!! :) You'll want to blog on over to the Colour Q and see all the amazing creations! Here's the challenge inspiration photo...

Do my photos look dark to you? It's so difficult for me to get a good photo under my flourescent lighting. Anyway, I fiddled around with this one a bit and decided on the white cardstock base. First, I had peach parfait and it was just a bit too much color. The swirly heart red background paper is from the Basic Grey Cupcake 6x6 mat pad. I only had a small piece of poppy parade left in my stash...just enough to cut the heart with my Cricut machine. I used the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge for both the heart and the U. Love is stamped with cameo coral (retired) since I don't have peach parfait ink. The stamp is from the Stampin' Up All About You set.

I've embellished with buttons and twine from Papertrey Ink. The peach colored twill tape is a Jo-Ann Scrap Essential and the small peach heart is a Martha Stewart punch. On the inside I've stamped a Winnie the Pooh quote from the Verve set Beautiful You. Goodness, I used a boatload of different products on this card, huh?! ;)

I'm happy you stopped by and I hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

Wishing you all a very Happy ♥ Day!

P.S. Have you found Pinterest yet? Oh my, it is addictive, but so full of inspiration! Here is the link to my boards, if you're interested. You may especially like Better Than Hallmark where I've pinned some of my favorite card creations from around blogland. Or there is Words to Live By where I've pinned some of my favorite quotes and sayings...

{cQc & Jugs #122} You Are My Main Squeeze

2012-02-04T18:15:00.001-06:00

Oh my goodness, isn't this just the sweetest little image?! Last weekend I got in on Angela's big birthday discount SALE at Unity Stamps! :) This is an itty bitty by Unity, appropriately titled You are My Main Squeeze. I've colored the image with Copic markers, trying to coordinate with this week's Colour Q Challenge.

Along with the color challenge, I decided to use the Just Us Girls Sketch Challenge too! It was the perfect layout for the image size I was working with today.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Have a GREAT weekend!

Pinterest Quote for Today ~

{SSSC151} Sweet Sunday Valentine!

2012-01-29T20:02:00.000-06:00

If you haven't already figured it out, the Sweet Sunday Sketch is one of my favorite challenges! Perhaps it's because I usually find time to stamp on the weekends. ♥ Today, I've made another Valentine for you and embellished it with a big heart button, red twill tape and bakers twine. I found these buttons last week in the Valentine crafts aisle at Hobby Lobby. The stamp is an oldie from my collection. (E-2471 PSX 1999)

Don't you think this would be an OK "guy card" with the distressing and all?

I might put it in my Etsy Shop or it just might be hubby's Valentine! ;)

Now I have to share a photo of the newest *love* of my life. . .

my precious granddaughter. . .

Emery Jude

7 months old today!

I miss her *so* much, but I have my next trip booked for the end of February. Can't wait!

Thanks for blogging by and have a great week!

~ Quote for Today ~

{cQc #121} I'm here for you . . .

2012-01-28T14:34:00.001-06:00

Woo Hoo! We've made it to another weekend and time to stamp it up! Today's card was created using the terrific colors in the Colour Q Challenge . . .

The base is kraft (crumbcake) cardstock that I stamped with the Stampin' Up! Linen background stamp. I found a designer paper in my stash that reminded me of the inspiration photo in the cQc challenge photo. Then I distressed, layered and stitched this to a piece of old olive. The flower was created using the Stampin' Up 5 petal flower punch and more mustard cardstock. The leaves were stamped and cut out of old olive. I didn't have any riding hood red carstock but found some designer paper that was a close match to use instead. This red strip is punched with the Stampin' Up mini heart border punch. The sentiments are from the Stampin' Up! set Occasional Quotes.

That's all for today! Wishing you all a nice relaxing weekend with time to do as you please!

~ Quote for Today ~

Another Pure Innocence Valentine 4 U

2012-01-23T20:11:00.001-06:00

Today's Valentine was created just for fun using one of my favorite Pure Innocence digital images by Heather Ellis. She has several in her Etsy Shop if you want to check it out. They are on sale for only $1.65 each!

This is a standard size 4-1/4 x 5-1/2" card using Poppy Parade red as the base. It coordinated perfectly with the designer paper I picked up recently at Michaels ... in the $1 bin, of course! :) It's an 8 x 8" pack of 12 sheets, called Melodies & Lace. I've colored the little sweetie pie with Copic markers and added a little "love" on the side.

I hope your week is off to a great start! Hugs & Smiles ~

~ Quote for Today ~

Happy 60th Birthday!

2012-01-22T11:01:00.000-06:00

Thankfully, it's not my 60th Birthday...yet! ;) This week we celebrated my hubby's 60th and one of our dear friend's 60th birthday too! So, today I'm sharing the "custom" cards I made for each of them using my Cricut machine and the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge.

This one is Jim's (aka Mr Wonderful). I used Kraft cardstock and a rustic striped designer paper. On top of this I layered on a piece of brown cardstock embossed with the woodgrain folder. The numbers 6-0 were cut out with the Cricut and embellished a little.

Here's me and the "Birthday Boy" . . .

Now, I want to show you the 60th birthday card I made for my special friend . . .

You can't go wrong with black and white, can you? I've used black and white baker's twine, rhinestones and a white pearl button to embellish this one. The numbers are popped up with dimensionals to add depth. The "celebrate" sentiment is from the Stampin' Up! set All About U. I stamped it in Versafine black and clear embossed. It just gives it a nice shiney look!

Phew, that was a LOT of photos!

As always, I'm so happy you stopped by

and your comments mean so much to me too! ♥

Have a wonderful week!

~ Quote for Today ~

from Pinterest

{cQc #120} Hello, My Friends!

2012-01-21T15:17:00.000-06:00

Today's card is a clean and simple design that was easy to create. The focus is on the designer paper with a large button to make it pop. I really *love* this week's Colour Q Color Challenge colors! I don't have the new Stampin' Up "In Colors" Wisteria Wonder and Island Indigo so I tried to find a designer paper in these same shades. I distressed the dp a bit and stamped the sentiment in Bravo Burgandy.

The sentiment stamp is from my $1 M's collection. I can never pass those up! :) The designer paper is from a mat pad by K & Company ~ Abrianna.

It's been a fun and busy week for us ... hubby celebrated his 60th birthday so we went out to eat a couple times with family and friends. Today we took our little dachshund in for a grooming and went shopping for wood flooring for our living room. We've still got the same carpet we put in 20+ years ago so it's really time for an update!

Tomorrow, I'll be back to show the 60th birthday card I made for MW using my Cricut machine. Stay tuned. . .

Quote for Today ~ (from Pinterest)

{SSSC150} Sending my Love!

2012-01-17T19:47:00.000-06:00

Creating Valentines is just *so* fun! ... especially when you have a terrific sketch for inspiration and a cute little image to work with! This is a Pure Innocence digital stamp by DigiStampCharacters on Etsy. The sketch is by Karen Giron at The Sweetest Thing for her Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge.

I've used an assortment of Valentine prints from my stash of designer papers. One of my favorites is the postage theme paper under the button. It's from a mat pad by Martha Stewart Crafts ~ In Key and Heart. The little girls dress is paper pieced with the same polka dot paper as in the background. Since this is a digital stamp, I simply printed an extra image directly on the dp, cut it out and adhered to the main image, which has been colored with Copic markers.

It wasn't until I was all done, that I realized I had the layers a little mixed up from the sketch, but it's close! ;) I'm glad you stopped by and hope you're having a wonderful week so far!

Quote for Today ~

There must be millions of people all over the world who never get any love letters... I could be their leader. ~Charlie Brown

RAWR Means I Love You! ♥

2012-01-15T12:41:00.000-06:00

Doesn't this Valentine just make you *smile* ?! :) It is one of my new stamp sets from My Favorite Things ~ Little Loveosaurus. Cute name, huh? See below for more on how I acquired this adorable stamp set. Lucky me!

Can you see that I've paper pieced the loveosaurus? I know they are rather funky colors, but he does coordinate with the polka dot background paper.

Can you see the little boy peeking out from inside the costume? ;) hee hee I've stamped the olive green dinosaur using a tiny heart background stamp and Versamark ink for a subtle pattern.

Now, I know you're anxious to hear how I "acquired" this cute set... I WON it! Seriously? Yes! I left a comment on Megan Lock's blog ~ Megan Lock Designs a couple months ago when she announced her *exciting* BABY news. I still cannot believe ALL the GOODIES she sent me! Oh. My. Stamping. Goodness!!! Check it out . . .

and the *awesome* card handmade by Megan herself! . . .

I've been wanting to share this with you and I'm happy you stopped by! : ) This weekend, I've been busy around the house and also creating VALENTINE cards for an *extra* special ETSY customer. Stay tuned and I'll be sharing them with you this week, ok? Now, I better scoot and get something done! Have a *wonderful* day!

Quote for Today ~

Love You to the Core! {More from Unity Stamps}

2012-01-02T11:36:00.000-06:00

Goodness! Three posts in 2 days! Are you wondering what's come over me?! ;) Really, it's all about TIME and having the time to enjoy this wonderfully relaxing hobby of mine. This long New Year's weekend has been delightful...just doing as I please!

This card was created especially for the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge hosted by Karen Giron. I ♥ her sketches and this one is a keeper!

Don't you just love that big circle that gives focus to your image? And my image is another UNITY Stamp set I received for Christmas. This one is titled appropriately To The Core. (Item #IB-JS-160). A great stamping friend of mine is an Ippity Chick and sells these awesome Unity Stamps via her blog. So, if you want to order any, please check out Shuggy's Unity Store! She gives 10% off and a special surprise too! :) Gotta love that!

This card is 5-1/2 x 4-1/4" with lots of layers of coordinating dp from my never ending stash. Can you tell I paper pieced the apple? I stamped it on the polka dot dp and cut out the center. The floral dp has a little glitter in center of flowers that adds some sparkle.

Before I stamped the sentiment, I placed a piece of scotch tape over the word love, stamped it in chocolate chip, took off the tape and used a red marker to color love. ♥ Can you tell I'm on a button and tag kick lately? Can't help myself! ;)

I'm curious how many of you are scrapbookers as well as cardmakers? I've started a baby scrapbook for my darling granddaughter and will be sharing a few pages with you in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Now I'm off to watch the Nebraska Cornhuskers play South Carolina in the Capital One Bowl game!

Go Big Red!!! (Truth be told, I'll watch it from my stamp room today...in my comfy pants and Husker sweatshirt...Life. Is. Good. :)

Hugs & Smiles ~

Quote for Today ~
You can't wrap love in a box, but you can wrap a person in a hug. ~Author Unknown

My Favorites from 2011 ~

2012-01-01T12:38:00.002-06:00

Several of my dear blogger friends have posted their favorite creations from this past year and it has been such a wonderful trip down memory lane. It's so fun to see the styles, stamps and embellishments that are popular throughout the year.

To carry on the tradition, here are my own personal favorites from 2011 . . . Enjoy!

Thank you so much for your comments and encouragement throughout the year.

Your support of my blog is sincerely appreciated!

God's blessings to you and yours.

May your New Year 2012 be filled with much love, joy and peace. ♥

Warm Winter Wishes for a very Happy New Year 2012!

2012-01-01T12:11:00.001-06:00

This is a "custom" card I created a few weeks ago for one of my wonderful Etsy customers. She was giving a snowman snowglobe gift to someone dear to her and wanted a unique card to go with her gift.

The card is a 5" square with Christmas snowflake & holly designer paper layers all stitched together. The scarf is paper pieced and the rest of the image is colored with Copic markers. The stamp is by Penny Black (3260 Warm & Cold).

inside sentiment also customized

It's a little late for a Christmas card idea, but this could be used for a thank you or any "warm winter wishes"! Just thought you might like to see it!

Have a blessed New Year!

Quote for Today ~

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. - Edith Lovejoy Pierce

{cQc #117} I Love You Tons!

2011-12-31T11:38:00.000-06:00

Hello & Happy New Year's Eve!

Where did the last few weeks go? Did you have a nice Christmas? We sure did! (see photos below)Time flies when you're busy and it's been a very busy holiday season! I've missed stamping and blogging, but I do have a few goodies to share with you in the coming days! : )

Today, I'm sharing a 5 x 5" square card I've created especially for this week's Colour Q Challenge. The cute little (or should I say BIG?) image is from a new stamp set I got from my sweet kids for Christmas. It's an itty bitty set by UNITY and titled Love You Tons. Let me tell you, these are *awesome* stamps! They are thick red rubber mounted on cling foam that sticks really well to acrylic blocks. They gave me 4 different sets that are going to be such FUN to play with. Stay tuned!

Here's the terrific colors for the challenge...

I've got a large assortment of black and white designer papers, so went to my stash for inspiration. With the sweet little hearts above the elephant, I naturally chose RED as my extra color of choice. Wouldn't this make a perfect Valentine?

The elephant was stamped with onyx black Versafine and clear embossed. The hearts are part of the stamp, so I taped over them and stamped them separately with real red ink. I tried coloring the image with a grey copic marker and decided I liked the black/white best...for this card anyway!

As you can see, I did a little stitching all around the layers, embossed the red layer and tied it up with some all purpose black and white baker's twine! (Note: I still have a lifetime supply of this awesome twine available. If you need any, please email me or check it out in my Etsy Shop.)

I'm so happy you stopped by because I want to wish you all a very Happy Healthy New Year 2012! ♥ I don't often find time to comment on all your blogs, but please know that you are an inspiration to me! I'm so grateful for your friendship and appreciate each and every one of you! ♥

In closing, here are a few photos of my family at Christmas . . .

My sweet daughter in law Jami holding her niece...
our precious grandbaby Emery.

There's nothing better than a BABY in the house! ♥

My mother meets her first great-grandchild... ♥

My son in law, daughter & precious granddaughter. ♥

I sure wish we would have thought to take a group photo when everyone arrived for the evening! Next time!

Thanks again for stopping by!

New Year Hugs ~

Quote for Today ~
When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses. ~Joyce Brothers

{cQc#114} a very Merry Christmas to YOU!

2011-12-10T18:41:00.001-06:00

There is a little twist on the Colour Q Challenge this week and it is to create anything BUT a card! Hmmm, how about a cute little gift box? This "five in one box" design is so easy to make and oh so versatile! It's been around awhile, but if it's new to you and you're wondering how to create one yourself, Beate Johns has an excellent picture tutorial on Splitcoaststampers. Here is the link.

Look at these FUN colors for this week's challenge! I really wanted to make a snowman card as cute as this little guy in the photo below . . .

I used the Stampin' Up! snowflake wheel and white craft ink to give the cool caribbean and poppy parade cardstock a little design.

Wouldn't this be the perfect way to wrap up a little gift for someone special? And depending on what cardstock and designer paper you choose to use, each one will be unique and perfectly festive! These are colors I would never think to put together, but I like them, don't you? ;)

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Holiday JOY to you and yours! ♥

Quote for Today ~
He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. ~Roy L. Smith

{cQc #113} Believe!

2011-12-03T17:34:00.001-06:00

It's beginning to look at lot like Christmas here in Nebraska today! Yes, the fluffy white stuff is coming down and blanketing the ground in beauty. I say that only because I'm able to stay indoors and view it from the warmth of my craft room. ;)

Look at this beautiful color palette and inspiration photo for the Colour Q Challenge this week! And the cards and scrapbook layouts by Arielle's cQc Royal Court Design Team are incredible! I really love the color blue and shades that blend such as these. Pretty Pretty!

My card is a 5-1/4" square using sahara sand as the base. The nativity stamp is one I purchased last year at Archivers and never used. Imagine that! ;) It's a cling rubber set by Stampendous and comes with a large "Believe" in script letters. I used that stamp on the back of the envelope as it just didn't fit on the card with this layout. (Cling Sacred Believe Set CRS2037)

You probably can't tell by the photo, but the nativity has been stamped in night of navy and clear embossed for texture and shine. Then I added little teeny tiny rhinestones to the star and larger ones in upper right corner. The little believe tag was printed on the computer and punched out with an oval punch. I tied it to the big shimmery bow with some silver thread.

The inside sentiment is one of my favorites. Jesus is the Reason for the Season! Yes, He is~!

This is a stamp by The Stamp Pad Co, Inc. Big Lake, MN. Have you ever heard of them? I think I bought it second hand several years ago or it may be one I got in a swap with my friends from the Stamp Shack.

Well, hubby is home now and we're going to have homemade vegetable beef soup for dinner. So easy to make and soooo delicious on a day like this! After dinner we need to go over our Christmas shopping list. He's been buying for our son and son-in-law and I've been shopping for the girls and my precious grandbaby. So, it's time we do an inventory and see if we're done or not. Probably not! ;) I'm trying to be frugal this year, but it's easy to get caught up in the shopping madness and forget the real meaning of the Season.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Wishing you JOY * PEACE * LOVE today and always! ♥

Quote for Today ~

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ~Norman Vincent Peale

{cQc #111} Autumn Splendor

2011-11-20T11:05:00.001-06:00

Look at these splendorific autumn colors the Arielle has chosen for this week's Colour Q color challenge! Her inspiration photo and all the gorgeous samples by the cQc Design Team are what inspired me to play along.

I've used crumb cake cardstock for the base and distressed it a bit with the linen background stamp and some sponging of versafine vingage sepia ink. The rich raspberry cardstock is the next layer and that's topped with naturals white. Notice my funky stitching...a little zig zag and straight stitch combined. French Foliage by Stampin' Up! is the stamp set used with the challenge ink colors. I think this set is one of my all time favorites by SU.

Here is the inside...stamped to coordinate with the front, but left blank. I'll add a sentiment for the occasion when ready to send. My embellishments were kept pretty simple...just three little antique brass brads and brown and white baker's twine.

Thanks so much for blogging by today! I may not get a chance to post again before Thanksgiving, so want to wish all of YOU a very blessed day feeled with love and gratitude. I'm so excited that I'll be spending the Thanksgiving weekend with my precious grandbaby, daughter and family in Nevada. Emery is going to be 5 months old already on the 29th of this month. Time flies and she's growing up sooo fast!

she melts my ♥

God's blessings and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

Quote for Today ~
What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving? ~Erma Bombeck

Just Saying Hi !

2011-11-13T19:22:00.003-06:00

Oh Happy Weekend!

This is just a quick little post to share a card I made this weekend

using two new woodmount stamps from the $1 bin at Michaels.

First, I stamped three trees on heavy white cardstock, colored with Copic markers, cut them out and popped them up with dimensionals. This is a 4-1/4 x 5-1/2" card using Kraft (crumb cake) cardstock for the base.

the inside of the card... left blank for your personal message!

I hope you've had an enjoyable weekend!
Thanks so much for stopping by to say Hi! : )

Quote for Today ~
Follow your instincts. That is where true wisdom manifests itself. - Oprah Winfrey

{SSSC142} Feeling Grateful

2011-11-07T20:24:00.001-06:00

TGIM! Have you ever heard anyone say that? (Thank God it's Monday!) Well, neither had I until this morning at work. It made me *smile*. Attitude is everything. : )

Today's card was created using the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge by Karen Giron. This is a 5-1/4" square using cajun craze and really rust cardstock. The flowers are from the Upsy Daisy set by Stampin' Up! I've colored direct to the rubber with markers, spritzed with water and stamped.

I'm not so sure about my ribbon and twine bow. I tried my best to make one of those messy bows that are all the rage these days and I couldn't do it. If you know how, please tell me the secret. As you can see, I gave up and all that is left are these short little tails. : /

the inside

I'm *grateful* you stopped by.

Have a blessed day!

Quote for Today ~
If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.
~Meister Eckhart

{cQc #109} Hello Friend!

2011-11-06T12:04:00.005-06:00

Here I am at noon on Sunday again, trying to squeeze in my card for this week's Colour Q Challenge! Honestly, when I saw this color combination on Tuesday, I thought "no way" can I do those colors! And I don't own any island indigo anyway. But, this morning while cleaning my stamp room, I came across this chipboard flower and one thing led to another. I'm not sure if you can tell, but I've used tempting turquoise in place of island indigo.

It can be fun to step out of the box sometimes.

Thanks for dropping by and have a wonderful day!

~ Quote for Today ~

Nothing but Heaven itself is better

than a friend who is really a friend. ~Plautus

{FTL164} Wild Thing! . .

2011-11-02T22:03:00.001-05:00

. . . You Make My Heart Sing!

The inspiration for this *wild* creation, came from the leopard print designer paper (The Paper Studio) and the Clean & Simple "Fall to Layout" Sketch Challenge. Gotta love simple! And this really was.

The sentiment popped into my head so I simply typed it up in Word and printed it out on naturals ivory cardstock. The base cardstock is chocolate chip. I ran the front side through my Cuttlebug with a new zebra embossing folder. (The Paper Studio) Funny thing is, I really thought I was buying the woodgrain embossing folder! To finish it off, I've just added a big black button tied on with bakers twine.

Can you think of someone you could give this card to? : ) I'll bet it would make them *smile*. hee hee

Quote for Today ~
Love - a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker. ~Author Unknown

{cQc108} Trick or Treat!

2011-10-30T12:05:00.003-05:00

One more Happy Halloween card to wish

you all the goodies you deserve! ;)

I was trying to get this in before the noon deadline today and just missed it by 5 minutes! Oh well. I *love* the Colour Q color challenge and always enjoy participating!

The shimmery Halloween designer paper just happened to include the challenge colors. I've had this in my stash for awhile...2006 Heidi Grace Designs, titled Halloween Circles with Glitter. As you can see, I've added some buttons and twine and stitched it all together. This shimmery paper made it difficult to photograph and looks a little fuzzy... or maybe it was because I was hurrying to get it posted! : /

I'm so glad you've stopped by today!

Quote for Today ~

I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself

than be crowded on a velvet cushion.

~Henry David Thoreau

My Quilted Christmas Cards

2011-10-23T12:04:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned yesterday, this has been a popular layout of mine recently and an excellent way to use scraps of your favorite coordinating designer papers. This assortment is from a Christmas pad I've had for a few years. (Greeting's of the Season by Hobby Lobby) I like how it appears to have a linen texture, making the pieces look more like quilted fabric.

My sister Judy asked me to create 40 Christmas cards she could send to her clients again this year. Since I was mass producing, I needed a fairly simply design and something she could easily mail without extra bulk or postage expense. Once I figured out the size I needed to cut the strips, the paper cutting process only took a few minutes. I'll admit the stitching did take a wee bit longer. ;) Once I had the stitching done and threads clipped, I wrapped it all up with a light ivory crochet thread tied in a bow. (Red Heart size 3)

Card size is 5-1/2 x 4-1/4" naturals white cardstock. The designer paper strips are layered onto a solid dark green paper. First, I put a small strip of adhesive down the center of the strips to hold in place, then stitched between them, clipped threads, then stitched around it all. Make sense? ;)

The sentiment on the front is stamped in cherry cobbler ink. It's an oldie from the Stampin' Up set titled Fun Phrases. I didn't photograph the inside, but I used a beautiful sentiment from Penny Black ~ World Peace. It reads:

May this

joyous Season

fill

your home with love,

your

heart with hope,

and

our world with

p e a c e .

This is the second year in a row that I've done this as a gift for my sister's November birthday. If you're interested, here are the cards I created for her last year. . . and the post telling you all about them.

If you want create your own Christmas cards, these are two designs that can be easily duplicated. Remember, the stitching adds to the design, but it isn't necessary. If you have any questions about either design, just email me!

I'm happy you stopped by and hope you're enjoying your Sunday!

Quote for Today ~
There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.
- Edith Wharton

{cQc#107} You Make Me Smile!

2011-10-22T16:50:00.001-05:00

How about these colors for the Colour Q Challenge this week? They really are perfect for Halloween, but I thought I would challenge myself to create a non-Halloween card.

I *love* Arielle's Colour Q challenges and it really makes me *smile* when I see she's selected one of my cards for her ColourQueen Courtiers. If you missed last week's selections, please check them out. Such wonderful cardmaking inspiration! :)

My card base is the traditional 5-1/2 x 4-1/4" using naturals white cardstock. The early espresso cardstock is layered with scraps of designer paper in all those yummy colors and then I've zig zag stitched it all together.

This is an easy card to create and may be one of my new "go to" layouts. Would you believe I made 40 Christmas cards like this? They were a special order from my sweet sister Jude to send to her clients. I'll post them tomorrow so you can see! :)

*the inside decorated like the front,
but left blank for handwritten message.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you're enjoying your weekend and finding time for YOU!

Quote for Today ~

If a window of opportunity appears, don't pull down the shade. - Tom Peters

{SSSC139} A Halloween Banner Card!

2011-10-16T14:18:00.000-05:00

Look at me go! Posting 2 days in a row after not posting for weeks. I'm like that. I go in streaks. What I always seem to forget is how much I *love* hearing from all of you, my faithful blog followers. You really are the BEST! I hope you know that. ♥ Thank you so much for the comments you left yesterday. It's nice to be missed. ;)

Today, I'm back with another Halloween card. It's s not that I'm all that crazy about the holiday, but I had purchased this adorable little banner sticker the last time I was in M's and it was *perfect* for the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge today~!

This is actually only half of the banner...approximately 4". I'll be able to make another card like this with the other half. The other half has a brown owl, a *candy corn* and a bat.On a side note, this time of year, I get serious *candy corn* cravings. So far, I have resisted, but I'm really temped every time I see them. Honestly, I can easily eat an entire bag by myself! Hubby likes me to mix them with dry roasted peanuts. That's really good too. Ok, let's get off this subject...

This is a standard size card 4-1/4 x 5-1/2" using basic black cardstock. I've layered on a spider web designer paper and stitched on some leftover scraps of crushed curry and tangerine tango from the card I made yesterday. Even with the cute little banner, I thought there was too much white space, so I added the black buttons tied on with bakers twine.

Speaking of bakers twine, I've got a lifetime supply if you need any. I've got brown/white and also black/white. It's for sale (cheap!) in my Etsy Shop or you can always email me too.

I know you like to see the inside too . . . using 2 of my dollar bin M's stamps.

That's all for today peeps! Thanks for stopping by and I want you all to know that IF I had a big bag of *candy corn*, I would share it with all of you! well, maybe. . . ;)

Have a wonderful week!

Quote for Today ~
Once in a lifetime one should be allowed to have as much sweetness
as one can possibly want and hold. ~Judith Olney

{cQc#106} The Witch is In!

2011-10-15T15:49:00.001-05:00

Surprise! Just when you thought I had given up blogging, here I am again! Today, I was inspired by another one of Arielle's bright and smiling color challenges. This week's Colour Q colors just *screamed* Halloween to me! ;)

My card is a 5-1/4" square of basic black cardstock, layered with some polka dot designer paper. This cute little witch image was sent to me months (maybe even years) ago by one of my dear Stamp Shack friends. I had it in with my Halloween stamps and ribbon and just came across it. It was such a FUN image to color! So sorry I can't tell you who makes the stamp, but if any of you know, please leave it in the comments for all to see. Thanks so much!

The inside is finished to coordinate with the front and stamped with one of my new $1 Michaels stamps.

Since my last post in early September, I have been back to Nevada for a few days to visit my precious grandaughter. Oh my goodness, she is the BEST baby ever! And my daughter and her hubby are such wonderful parents too! ♥ I sure wish I lived closer, but for now we make due with lots of photo texting and Skype. Thank goodness for modern technology!

Here she is at 3 months... our precious Emery Jude . . .

In case you're wondering, I got these monthly stickers and the headband to match on Etsy. Someone is pretty clever.

Thanks so much for blogging by today. Have a wonderful weekend!! :)

Quote for Today ~
While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about.~Angela Schwindt

{cQc#100 & FTL#155} You Make Me Oh So Very Happy!

2011-09-04T09:12:00.004-05:00

Would you believe Arielle Gordon has posted a Colour Q Challenge every week for 100 weeks?! I've participated as often as I could, but I know I've missed out on several that really caught my eye...such as this one from week #76. I *love* this bright and happy color combination so created this *happy* card to share with all of you. I hope you like it!

To celebrate the 100th Colour Q Challenge, they have teamed up with the Clean and Simple Sketch Challenge using the Fall to Layout #155 shown below. Double the pleasure...Double the FUN! : )

My card is the standard 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" using old olive as the base. I've layered on early espresso and daffodil delight along with a piece of "kiwi kiss" designer paper by K & Company. {Designer Tim Coffey Mat Pad}. I've distressed the edges a bit with Versafine Vintage Sepia, stitched the layers together with my Janome Sew Mini, and added the brown twill ribbon, bakers twine and buttons.

The sweet *happy* sentiment is a M's stamp from their dollar bin. I can never pass those up! ;)

inside was finished to coordinate with the front,
but left blank for personal message.

Since we're celebrating the 100th Colour Q Challenge, I can't resist sharing a couple of my cards that were chosen in the past. I was "crowned" Colour Q Queen way back in week #14. Here is my card for that challenge and my original post.

And one of my cards was selected again in Week 79!

Seriously?!

Click here to read my original post.

Goodness, I got a little carried away on this post, didn't I? hee hee Hopefully, you've been inspired and feel like stamping up a little something today too!

I'm happy you stopped by!

Quote for Today ~

In the long run the pessimist may be proven right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip. ~Daniel L. Reardon

Paper Fashions Button Card

2011-08-29T20:51:00.000-05:00

Today I've got a vintage button card for you using one of the wonderful digital stamp sets by Paper Fashions, Etc. This set has 5 styles of vintage button cards in black and sepia and you can buy them online for only $4.95!

I've used early espresso cardstock for the base and stitched on a layer of K & Company designer paper. {Jubilee Pink & Teal Collage} The "lipstick pink" paper flowers are from Kaisercraft and tied it all up with some brown and white baker's twine and a big button from my stash.

It has been a new creative experience to participate on the Paper Fashions, Etc Design Team these past 3 months and I've thoroughly enjoyed it. Diane and Melissa have been such a joy and pleasure to work with...always ready to help and so full of praise and encouragment. If you get a chance to work with them, I highly recommend you do! ♥

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great week!

Quote for Today ~
Oh, my friend, it's not what they take away from you that counts. It's what you do with what you have left. ~Hubert Humphrey

Could This Dream Come True?

2011-08-23T21:49:00.001-05:00

Last night when I was skimming through my favorite blogs via Google Reader, I came across a *fabulous* creation by Debbie Olsen of Thinking Inking. She is one of the best of the BEST and her creations always make my jaw drop. This time it was not only her lovely floral birthday card that caught my eye, but her terrific sketch and a chance for publication in CARDS magazine!!!

I told you it was a *great* sketch!

Debbie said all we had to do was create a card using the sketch and link it to the post on the Cosmo Cricket Blog by August 27th. Then the editors of CARDS magazine will select a winner for publication. Cool beans! I've always wanted to submit one of my cards for publication, but I never have. It would be a dream come true to be published and this time I knew I should give it a try!

Here is my submission . . .

[I wish my lighting was better and will try to retake the photo in daylight tomorrow.]

The darling little Pure Innocence set is from My Favorite Things. I've used so saffron cardstock for the base and tangerine tango for layering the image and tag. The bright and happy designer paper is by Cosmo Cricket. I've colored the image with Copic markers, paper pieced her dress, and used buttons, twine and ribbon from my stash to embellish.

This is the inside. . .

It was a fun card to make and I hope you like it. Well, actually I hope the editors at CARDS like it more! hee hee ;)

Quote for Today ~

Every day is an opportunity to make a new happy ending. ~Author Unknown

{SSSC 131} A Basket of Sweet Wishes!

2011-08-22T22:00:00.011-05:00

Today was hot & humid here in Nebraska, but there have been a few days recently when I actually thought I could feel Autumn in the air. Once school starts, as it did last week, I'm reminded of trips to the apple orchard and picking those delicious treats!

Today's card was created using one of the newest digital images by Paper Fashions, Etc. It's called Sweet Wishes and includes the festive basket of delicious apples and the sweet sentiment too! You can get both images for only $2.95 and they can be resized to meet your creative needs.

Once again, I've used the Sweet Sunday Sketch for inspiration and selected coordinating papers to highlight my apple basket. The card is a 5-1/4" square of cherry cobbler cardstock and the patterned paper is from a K & Company pad designed by Tim Coffey.

Would you like to see how I finished off the inside? ...

...no sentiment on the inside,

but a strip of coordinating designer paper

zig zag stitched to the bottom.

I'm reading an excellent book titled "The Help" and I'm anxious to get back to reading it. Have you read it or seen the movie yet? I hear the movie is good too, but I would rather not see it until after I read the book.

It has been a couple weeks since I've shared a photo of my precious little granddaughter. I can't believe she'll already be 2 months old next Monday! I miss her soooo much, but I'm thankful that my daughter sends me a photo every day and we Skype on the weekends too. ♥ Here is adorable Miss Emery Jude modeling one of her little Heather Brown onesies . . . ;)

Thanks so much for stopping by. I really appreciate your visits and your comments!

Have a wonderful week, my friends! Smiles,

Quote for Today ~

If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas. ~George Bernard Shaw

{SSSC130} Cheery Delights!

2011-08-15T21:12:00.000-05:00

"A cheerful heart is good medicine." is one of my favorite proverbs!

Attitude is everything.

Look on the bright side.

Laughter is good for the soul.

A light heart lives long.

I feel better already! :) hee hee

Today's card was created using the very unique Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #130 by Karen Giron at The Sweetest Thing.

All the layers gave me the perfect opportunity to use my new Sweet Nectar designer paper pad by K & Company.

The wonderful inspirational verse on the outside and the sentiment on the inside are both printed digital stamps from the Cheery Delights set by Paper Fashions Etc.

Thanks so much for blogging by today. I love hearing from you and appreciate your comments. They really make me *smile*! : )

Quote for Today ~

Cheerfulness is contagious, but don't wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier.

~anonymous

{SSSC129} Hello Friend!

2011-08-13T09:16:00.000-05:00

Isn't this just the sweetest little "hedgie" image?! It was given to me ages ago by one of my dear Stamp Shack stampin' buddies. I had it all colored up with prismacolor pencils and decided it was time I created a card to share it. The hedgehog stamp line is made by Penny Black...another one of my favorite companies!

I'm a little disappointed that my photo doesn't do this card justice. The base is certainly celery and the designer paper by Basic Grey {Sweet Threads} is very bright and colorful. The flower is a cricut die cut of melon mambo.

On the inside, I've used another diecut, but with a brad instead of a button. Then I stamped "Hello friend" with one of my new M's dollar stamps. I simply cannot resist those!

The terrific sketch is by Karen Giron at The Sweetest Thing. If you have time, you'll want to check out all the other creations with this layout. They're awesome!

Thanks so much for dropping by today! Have a *wonderful* weekend!

Smiles!

Quote for Today ~

Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.
Walk beside me and be my friend.-unknown

Aloha!

2011-08-08T19:57:00.002-05:00

No, I'm not on vacation in Hawaii, but one can always dream! : )

Today's card was created especially for my design team post at Paper Fashions, Etc. The beautiful palm trees are from the digital stamp set titled Beachscapes. (see photo below) Please visit their website for all the details on this terrific printable set!

There is a Beachscapes sentiment set too that coordinates with this perfectly. I chose to use an "Aloha" stamp from my stash on the front of this card. The cardstock is wild wasabi and I've stamped the front with linen and then the left side with the print pattern background. What?! No designer paper? Can you believe it?

To embellish, I've used a miniature antique brass clip, a brown button and bakers twine to tie it all together. The image was colored with copic markers and the edges distressed with Versafine vintage sepia ink.

The inside is stamped with a sentiment I've had forever and never think to use. I thought it would be perfect for this island themed creation. I guess I did use some designer paper on the inside. It's a piece of torn "sand" paper. : )

Mahalo for stopping by!

May your day be filled with relaxing sunsets,

cool drinks and sand between your toes!

Smiles,

Quote for Today ~

I'll take heat rash over frost bite any day. ~Ken Travous

{SSSC128} Sew Happy For Your Friendship!

2011-08-01T22:56:00.000-05:00

This card was created with a very special friend in mind and I hope she likes it! ♥

Once again, I've used the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge for my inspiration on the design layout. The vintage button card is a digital design by Paper Fashions Etc. These button cards are just *so* fun to create with! I printed it on natural ivory cardstock and distressed the edges with Versafine vintage sepia ink.

Do you like the designer paper? It's another one of my favorites from K & Company... ABRIANNA is the name... a designer mat pad with matching adhesive butterflies! I found it on clearance at Michaels. I do love a sale...oh yeah!

SEW happy you stopped by today and I want you to know how much I enjoy and appreciate hearing from you too! Have a wonderful week everyone!

Quote for Today ~

Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down. ~ Oprah Winfrey

{SSSC127} I Need Some Beach Therapy!

2011-07-25T22:00:00.001-05:00

Once again I'm playing with the fabulous Beachscapes digital set by Paper Fashions, Etc. I created my card this afternoon and was in the process of uploading the photos to schedule my post for tomorrow evening. Somehow I entered the wrong date and it posted automatically so I decided I better just write a little something quick to go with the pix!

Another terrific sketch by Karen Giron

for the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge!

I've used one of the sentiments from the set on the inside as well. You can click on the photo for a larger image. It reads: Nothing is as peaceful as the sun embracing the sea.

I've printed the digis on Stampin' Up's natural ivory cardstock and colored with Copic markers. The base cardstock is that lovely blue Baja Breeze. The designer paper is from My Mind's Eye...a 6 x6 pad of Hattie Papers ~ Stella Rose. You can get this paper pad and many others for only $5.95 at Two Paper Divas. The brad I used on the front is also one from this collection. Check it out!

So happy you've stopped by to see my latest creation! Have a wonderful week!

Quote for Today ~

Let us be of good cheer, remembering that the misfortunes hardest to bear are those which never happen. ~James Russell Lowell

{SSSC126} Take Time to Relax . . .

2011-07-18T22:03:00.002-05:00

The title for my post today, Take Time to Relax . . . is the sentiment on the inside of my card and so appropriate for the beachscape design. Both are wonderful new digital stamps from Paper Fashions, Etc. These sets are so versatile and affordable! Please visit the Paper Fashions blog for more information.

BeachScapes Sentiments
13 sentiments / $4.95

BeachScape Digital Images

9 images / $7.95

I've used the Sweet Sunday Sketch for my layout. As you can see, instead of the scalloped edge piece below the image, I did some random stitching and tied some linen thread around it.

The ocean wave designer paper is from my stash. I noticed it was from Flair Designs dated 2007. I think it's about time I used it up, don't you? :) The other paper is "Sand Photo" by The Paper Studio. It really looks like a sandy beach.

the inside sentiment: Take time to relax . . .

Whatever you're doing today, I hope you give yourself a few minutes to simply relax. Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Smiles,

Quote for Today ~

Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save. ~Will Rogers

A Paper Fashion Statement!

2011-07-12T00:05:00.004-05:00

Hello from Nevada! I'm still spending time with my daughter and precious little grandbaby Emery. She has been a real angel baby so far...just nursing, sleeping alot and letting me hold and snuggle her all I want. ♥ I'm totally smitten and love her soooo much!

I don't even want to think of leaving her. Grampy (my Mr Wonderful) will be arriving on Wed and then we both head back to Nebraska on Saturday. Thankfully, I have another trip booked for the middle of September, so that helps knowing that I'll see her again soon. Plus there is Skype too, thank goodness! Although, certainly not the same as holding her several times a day! : (

Ok, enough of my Grammy musings and on to the reason you came. . .

Today's card was created especially for the Paper Fashions Design Team. I've used one of the digital sets called Vintage Button Cards. It was printed on naturals ivory cardstock and the edges were distressed with Versafine vintage sepia ink.

The rest of the card, pretty much speaks for itself and since I forgot to make note of the cardstock colors and brand of dp, I will just leave it at that. I created this card before I left home and now I've forgotten. I think my brain has turned to mush since I became a Gramma! ;)

Thanks so much for stopping by and please come back again soon! :) And before I go, here is one more photo . . . taken today as we relaxed in the shade out by the pool. My friend Lu said it looks like she's signing "I love Gramma"! ;)

Sweet smiles from me and Baby Emery! : )

Quote for Today

If I would have known that grandchildren were going to be so much fun I would have had them first. ~ Bill Laurin

Introducing Baby Emery Jude . . .

2011-07-09T23:43:00.000-05:00

We all know that handstamped cards are the BEST, but there are times when photos speak louder than words. Here is the sweet little baby announcement that my daughter and I created on Shutterfly using the photos that were taken in the hospital by Bella Baby Photography. We had several wonderful photos and such a great variety of announcments to choose from which made for a difficult decision. This is the final announcement . . .

Made in America! Meet My Precious Grandaughter. . .

2011-07-04T14:55:00.002-05:00

Emery Jude Gillson

born 06.29.11

6 lb 8 oz

18-1/2" long

Isn't she gorgeous?! We are all over the moon happy and thankful for this precious beautiful healthy baby girl. She is such an incredible blessing! ♥

Our daughter Katie was actually due on July 4th (today!), but had a minor complication that resulted in an early c-section on June 29th. Thankfully, I was able to change my flight and arrived the evening before. I can't tell you how exciting it was to be there in the hospital and hold Emery within an hour of delivery. She is truly the new love of my life! ♥

Mommy, Daddy & baby are doing well and happy to be home. It will be a nice quiet 4th of July for us, but we're enjoying every moment!

I'm in Nevada with my daughter and family for 2 weeks, but do have a couple scheduled posts for you for the Paper Fashions Design Team. Also, if baby sleeps and I have a little time, I have a few other cards I've been wanting to share.

Thanks so much for stopping by so I could share my excitement with all of you. I knew being a gramma would be a very special and emotional experience, but I had no idea it would be this GRAND! ♥

Did I mention how beautiful she is? ;) more photos to follow . . .

BIG Gramma Smiles,

Quote for Today ~

Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting.

Stars and Stripes Forever!

2011-07-04T00:05:00.003-05:00

My weekly post for the Paper Fashions Design Team is a day early and that is because I really wanted to showcase this wonderful patriotic set for the 4th of July!

This card is 4-1/4" square with the addition of the Americana heart at the top. I've used Night of Navy as the base and then randomly stitched on this rustic red star designer paper. I've printed the digital images direct to the natural ivory cardstock and sponge distressed all the edges. The star buttons are attached with twine.

July 4th Set
7.95

...the inside

Wishing you all a very Happy 4th of July!

~ Quote for Today ~

This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in

unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.

~Theodore Roosevelt

{SSSC123} Any Way You Slice It. . .

2011-06-28T00:05:00.002-05:00

. . . time with you is SWEET! ♥

Once again, my layout for today's card is from the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge, hosted by Karen Giron at The Sweetest Thing.

I've used all DIGITAL images from Paper Fashions, Etc.

They were printed out on natural white cardstock and colored with Copic markers. The cherry on the left was cut out and adhered with glue dots.

The card measures 5-1/2 x 4-1/4" and the base is marina mist cardstock. The cute cherry designer paper is an oldie from my Stampin' Up stash. A little stitching around the edges and some red polka dot ribbon to tie it all together!

Cherry Delights Bundle
only $9.95 at Paper Fashions, Etc.

The inside of the card reads:

Wishing you a delicious day,

With a cherry on top!

Did you notice the "sweet" little tag tied onto the cherries? Well, that is my clever way of covering up a coloring smudge. ;)

~ Quote for Today ~

Stressed spelled backwards is desserts.

Coincidence? I think not!

{SSSC122} Patriotic Paper Fashions

2011-06-21T00:01:00.003-05:00

Believe it or not we are half way through June already and the 4th of July is just around the corner! If you're looking for a patriotic stamp set, you'll love this new digital set by Paper Fashions, Etc.

Just look at all these great images! All for only $7.95!

The layout I used for today's card is from Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge. I'm not sure how she comes up with these terrific designs week after week, but she does! Here it is if you want to try it too . . .

And a better view of the front of my card. . .

This is a standard 5-1/2 x 4-1/4" card using night of navy cardstock for the base. I've layered on this collage americana designer paper by The Paper Studio. The heart is a pre-colored digital image that I have printed on natural ivory cardstock. The circle behind the heart is crumb cake stamped with a "weathered" background stamp and distressed. The banner piece behind is cherry cobbler wrapped up with some brown and white bakers twine. A little machine stitching all around and a star button to finish it off!

the inside...finished to coordinate with the front.

The Happy 4th of July sentiment is a $1 M's stamp from my stash.

As I'm typing this post this evening, we are in a tornado warning and I'm downstairs listening to the radio and watching the radar on the computer. With all the severe and devastating weather around the country this year, we are taking this much more serious than we usually do. Hopefully, it won't amount to anything, but you never know. I'm production coordinator for a steel company and we've started to see some Joplin, Mo rebuild projects coming through. Our hearts really go out to that community...such a sad loss of lives and property!

Now it sounds like all the rain is causing flash floods and that isn't good either. Have you heard about the Missouri River flooding in Nebraska and Iowa? And I guess it could be affecting other states as well. I'm not sure. The photos I've seen are unbelievable.

Ok, I'm rambling. Back to my card... this was created for Paper Fashions, Etc. Please stop by and check out all they have to offer. Not only digital stamps, but other great paper elements too. For additional ideas and inspiration be sure to view the gallery while you're there!

Thanks so much for blogging by. Have a GREAT day!

Quote for Today ~

And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.~Lee Greenwood

Friendship Grows

2011-06-14T00:03:00.001-05:00

Happy Hi, My Friends! Today's card is my second as a design team member for Paper Fashions, Etc. I've used the versatile Seed Packet digital set and printed the image on natural ivory cardstock. I've done a little additional distressing around the edges and some coloring with Copic markers. It was especially fun to embellish this image with crocheted flowers, buttons and bakers twine.

This is a standard 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" card folded at the top. The base is Not Quite Navy and it coordinates perfectly with this delightful designer paper by My Mind's Eye. This is from a 6 x 6 pad of Hattie Papers called Stella and Rose. You can purchase this online from Two Paper Divas for only $5.95!

Just look at all the banner sentiments

that coordinate with the Seed Packet!

Be sure to hop on over to Paper Fashions, Etc. and see all the digital stamps for sale, along with all the wonderful creative cards and projects to spark your creativity!

Yikes! Time really got away from me this evening and it's nearly midnight already! I guess I won't have to schedule my post, it will just go *live* now! :) I didn't go into much detail about my card so if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me.

I'm glad you stopped by today and hope you'll stop back again soon! I've just finished making 20 more thank you cards for my daughter to use for baby shower gifts and I want to show you how cute they turned out. (if I do say so myself...hee hee).

Smiles . . .

Quote for Today

Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty.

~Sicilian Proverb

Paper Fashions Design Team

2011-06-07T00:00:00.029-05:00

If life is just a bowl of cherries. . .

Why aren't we eating pie all day long?

This FUN sentiment and bowl of cherries is from a wonderful NEW digital stamp company ~ Paper Fashions, Etc. And I'm excited to tell you that I've been asked to be on their very first Design Team, along with these talented designers:

Amy Johnson ~ Amy's Creative Pursuits

Andrea Budjack ~ Andrea's Creative Paper Trail

Diane Noble ~ Diane's Designs

Gayla O'Dell ~ Two Paper Divas

Melissa Rodgers ~ Two Paper Divas

Sarah Bigelow ~ Mustang Sarah's Creations

In case you haven't heard of Paper Fashions, let me tell you a little about them. The company opened their online doors in March of this year with a party that lasted a week! The three owners ~ Diane Noble, Gayla O'Dell and Melissa Rodgers each have their own personal blogs and *years* of combined experience as paper crafters. They have all been Stampin' Up! demonstrators, so they are quite familiar with what paper crafters love to use on their projects. They have each taught crafting classes for many years too, so their tutorials have just the right blend of inspiration and instruction--making the projects easy for you to replicate.

Paper Fashions provides a growing line of printable, re-sizable digital elements that are affordable and versatile. The elements are high quality so you can shrink them or enlarge them to fit your needs. Every printable element comes with clear instructions on how to resize.

My first exposure to Paper Fashions was a couple months ago when I was blog surfing and came across one of Diane's fabulous project tutorials. And then I saw her wonderful digital BINGO cards!

The set I've used for my "debut" is one of my favorites ~ Cherry Delights Bundle.

Cherry Delights Bundle
(click image to enlarge)

My card is a standard 4-1/4 x 5-1/2" using real red cardstock as the base. I've layered on a couple "slices" of the retired SU "Summer Picnic" designer paper and stitched it all together with my Janome Sew Mini. The bowl of cherries was colored with Copic markers and I've embellished with a little red button, a snippet of old olive twill ribbon and some brown and white baker's twine.

What I especially *love* about digital images is that you can print whatever size you need. I wanted my bowl of cherries to be the focal point on the front with the sentiment small enough to fit on the 1-1/2" round tag. Then on the inside, I printed the sentiment a little larger.

Now I want to encourage all of you to hop on over to the Paper Fashions store and see all they have to offer in Digital Stamps, Project Tutorials and Printable Elements! If you're like me, you may wonder about using digital stamps. I started out stamping several years ago with Stampin' Up! wood block stamps and still use most of them...along with all my clear acrylic stamps, cling stamps, etc. My love of paper crafting is why I'm adding digital stamps to my repertoire.

As always, I'm happy you stopped by and I hope you'll come back again soon. I'm looking forward to sharing more projects using the Paper Fashions digi images!

Smiles!

Quote for Today

Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.

Ernestine Ulmer

Our Virtual Baby Shower!

2011-05-30T11:53:00.001-05:00

Have you heard of a "Virtual" Baby Shower?

Let me tell you about ours . . .

My sweet sister Judy organized this unique baby shower for our daughter Katie, who is expecting a Baby GIRL on July 4th. Katie and her hubby have moved several times and have family and friends around the world. Because of this, it was next to impossible to plan a baby shower where everyone could attend. So, Aunt Jude came up with the plan to hostess a Skype shower and asked me to create the invitations. Since everything else would be online, we thought a nice handmade invitation would be the perfect personal touch.

I borrowed my friend Vicki's Little Hellos stamp set by Stampin' Up to make the invitation. Isn't that just the cutest little giraffe you ever saw? :) There are several layers to this, but with my creative daughter-in-law Jami helping me, they didn't take us long at all. Jami had the idea to use the baker's twine to tie it all together and I just love how they turned out.

The inside of the invitation was drafted in Word and printed on regular copy paper. It took a little while to figure out how to explain this unique shower, but I think we got the message across. If you click on the photo, you should be able to read it. If you want to do something like this and have any questions, please feel free to ask me. My sister lives in California, but she traveled to Las Vegas where she was joined by KT's mother-in-law. They got everything decorated and the laptops set up for the big event.
Here at my home, I had a luncheon for friends and family and we were able to watch her open her gifts live via the computer. In addition to us, she had girlfriends and family in other parts of the country contact her too. Oh, the joys of technology!! It was wonderful!
Here are a few photos my sister took at Katie's home: (I didn't think to take any of us. dang it!) Do you see how she's sitting in front of the laptop showing us a cute little "wild thing" onsie she opened? Funny...my daughter-in-law and I sent the same one! :)

The cute little teddy bear quilt was handmade

by her Grandma Jeanne.

This will be her first great grandchild.

Baby showers are just so much FUN!

Thank you for letting me share ours with you today!

Smiles,

~Quote for Today ~

A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on.

Carl Sandburg

{SSSC118} SEW Happy for You!

2011-05-22T14:27:00.001-05:00

The card I'm sharing with you today was created using the SWEET SUNDAY Sketch Challenge hosted by Karen Giron at The Sweetest Thing. Here is the sketch if you want to play along this week... you'll notice I turned it to make my image work with the design.

This is a standard 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" card using chocolate chip cardstock as the base. On top of that I've stiched one of the oh so pretty floral designer papers from the Basic Grey Sweet Threads collection. Best of all, and the most FUN, is my button card ~ a new digital set ~ Vintage Button Cards by Paper Fashions, Etc.

Basic Grey - Sweet Threads 6 x 6 paper pad

a closer view of the front

On the inside I've used a leftover scrap of the floral dp and stitched it right on top of the natural ivory cardstock. The sentiment is from Paper Fashions, Etc. ~ Sew Sweet Sentiments.

I'm SEW Happy you stopped by today and I hope you like the card I've shared. If you have a minute, please leave a comment as I really do enjoy hearing from you! ♥ Maybe you have a suggestion on another way to use this set or the sketch. If so, I would love to hear it!

*Smiles*

~ Quote for Today ~

Sewing: A creative mess is better than tidy idleness.

{or we could easily replace "Sewing" with "Cardmaking"!}

~Author Unknown

{ColourQ 85} May Your Day be Blessed With Happy!

2011-05-21T11:19:00.000-05:00

Hello Peeps! I'm patiently waiting for the SUN to SHINE on my weekend, but in the meantime I decided to play along with Arielle Gordon's "challenging" Colour Q #85 Challenge!

These are colors I would never put together on my own, but they really do work. Be sure to visit Arielle's blog and look at all the beautiful samples her Design Team has created to inspire us. As always, I am simply *amazed*!

My card is a 5-1/4" square of sahara sand, folded at the top. I've layered on basic gray cardstock and zig zag stitched on a coordinating plaid print from Basic Grey {Sweet Threads 6 x 6 Paper Pad.} The scalloped edge is peach parfait cardstock and the sentiment is printed on naturals white.

The sentiments on the front and inside are digital images from Paper Fashions, Etc. Aren't they great? I simply printed directly onto the cardstock. They are so convenient, and best of all, you can resize them to whatever you need.

I just happened to have these big Bazzill Basics paper flowers in my stash and they were the perfect peach parfait color! I've embellished with a chocolate chip corduroy button and more of the ultra purpose brown and white baker's twine. Love this stuff!! {If you need any, I'm selling it in my ETSY Shop!}

Well, I do believe the SUN has come out and that means that I need to get outside and do some yardwork today. Thanks so much for blogging by . . . and like the sentiment on my card says . . .

May your day be BLESSED with Happy

All day long!

~ Quote for Today ~

Happiness often sneaks in through a door

you didn't know you left open.

John Barrymore

Did someone say BLOG CANDY?!

2011-05-19T19:32:00.000-05:00

My stamping buddy and Nebraska neighbor ~ Gail Slagle ~ is giving away a *sweet* assortment of BLOG CANDY this week!

Please visit her blog What a Load of Scrap and More! and leave a comment for a chance to WIN! Please tell her I said Hi! : )

{SSSC 117} Tickled Pink!

2011-05-15T14:37:00.001-05:00

Happy Sunday! I hope you're all enjoying your weekend and finding a little creative time for yourself!

Today's card was created using the Sweet Sketch Sunday layout by Karen Giron. Isn't it great?! Always is!

Love that little branch of leaves across the bottom, but I wasn't able to work that in on this card. Maybe next time! It's fun to make different size cards and this one is a 6-1/2" square of pink passion folded in half to make it 3-1/4" wide x 6-1/2" tall. I've layered it with embossed pixie pink cardstock and a scrap of coordinating designer paper. The lilac is a 2-step stamp set - Blossoms Abound - by Stampin' Up! The little sentiment is from Very Punny, another Stampin' Up! set. My embellisment was created using the 5 petal flower punch, an ivory crocheted flower and a button and linen thread to tie it all together!

What is the weather like in your corner of the world? I hope you are avoiding all the rain and flooding! We've had the strangest weather in Nebraska this week! We've gone from spring to summer and back to winter! Now the SUN is shining and I'm hoping it's going to hit 60 this afternoon. Hubby trimmed the trees a few days ago and the limbs are still waiting to be gathered up and disposed of!

Thanks so much for blogging by and do come back again soon!

Happy Stamping!

~ Quote for Today ~

The smallest act of kindness is worth more

than the grandest intention.

Oscar Wilde

Sharing a Baby Quilt on Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T12:10:00.001-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers out there!
And wishing you ALL a most joyful day!!

We had a fish fry with the kids Friday evening and I had lunch and spent the afternoon with my mother yesterday, so today I'm enjoying a nice quiet day to get a few things done around the house and yard. I thought it might rain, but the sun is out and calling my name! : )

This is the card I created for my mother. I made it last week using the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #115, but I never got it posted until now.

The card is a standard 4-1/4 x 5-1/2" using Melon Mambo as the base. I love black and white with a POP of bright color and I thought she would really like this.

Another terrific sketch by Karen Giron...one I will use often! . . .

And here is another look at my card . . .

Now, I've got something else to share with you that I know you'll enjoy! A couple months ago I visited a local quilt shop and picked out some darling fabrics for a baby quilt. My mother is an unbelievable quilter and within days she had this finished for her soon to be first GREAT grandchild. My daughter Katie is expecting a BABY GIRL in July!!! :)

I didn't know how much fabric to buy, but there was plenty. Mom added some "scraps" she had on hand to complete 2 baby quilts! This first one was a printed panel, but she quilted all around the grass, trees and animals to make it look like it was pieced together. Don't you think this one will make a great wall hanging in the baby's room?

some close ups....

The second quilt was made with blocks and panels of printed fabric she pieced together and quilted by machine. It is a nice large size for baby to lay on.

click on photos for a larger view.

I couldn't wait to show these to you, but I assure you that I'll be sharing more photos when BABY G arrives!! Thank you for letting me indulge in my "Going to be a GRANDMA!" excitement. I'm happy you stopped by today and hope you'll come back again soon!

Smiles 2 U.!

Quote for Today ~

Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs...

since the payment is pure love.

~Mildred B. Vermont

Easter Wishes!

2011-04-24T10:48:00.000-05:00

Wishing You All a

Very Blessed Easter Sunday!

My chocolate Easter Bunny was stamped with chocolate chip on creamy caramel cardstock and clear embossed to give it a yummy chocolate sheen. : ) The background of the card was embossed with a Cuttlebug folder. Corduroy buttons, stitching and polka dot ribbon to embellish! I wish I could give one to each of you with my sincere Easter Wishes! ♥

Wishing you JOY and God's Blessings! ♥

~ Quote for Today ~

Easter is the gift...

Easter is the gift of HOPE

Easter is the gift of PEACE

Easter is the gift of LOVE

Let us rejoice in Him,

Who gives them all.

May God bless you at Easter,

And keep you all year through.

May God give you all the faith it takes,

To make your dreams come true.

May His love and wisdom always help,

To guide you on your way.

May His light shine down upon you now,

To bless your Easter Day.

Author Unknown

Simply Fun Stamping with a Friend!

2011-04-23T13:39:00.000-05:00

Hello Peeps!

Happy Easter weekend everyone! I've been going to share these photos with you all week, but have had some annoying neck/back issues going on and felt I better limit my time at the computer. I'm on it all day at work so that doesn't help. If any of you have any suggestions for what works for you, please let me know! For one thing, I'm trying to remember to get up and stretch more often.

As for the cards I'm posting today, these are the FUN designs my neighbor and friend Vicki and I made last weekend. She also made a wedding card, but I forgot to get a photo of that one. All of our cards were inspired by others. It is the BEST source of inspiration!

I'm keeping it short and sweet today. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! Thanks so much for blogging by!

Hugs & Smiles!

~ Quote for Today ~

The story of Easter is the story of God's wonderful window of divine surprise.

~Carl Knudsen

{SSSC113} Here's a Hug!

2011-04-18T21:21:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend with time to do as you pleased. That's all I did and it really was wonderful! :) My neighbor and good friend Vicki came over and we created several cards . . . baby, birthday and wedding too! I was going to share them yesterday, but will share them tomorrow instead.

The card I'm posting tonight was created especially for the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge hosted by Karen Giron at The Sweetest Thing. She loves to challenge us with a circle image and I was ready for it with this adorable Pure Innocence "Better Get Better" set by My Favorite Things.

The base of my 4-1/4 x 5-1/2" card is my new favorite pink .. Stampin Up in color Blushing Bride. The designer paper is "all me"...perfectly distressed, but oh soooo soft and feminine too. I picked it up on sale at Hobby Lobby a couple weeks ago. It's Vintage Whimsy by The Girls' Paperie. The blue strip under the image with the rose buds is another strip of the same paper.

Here's the sketch . . . isn't it GREAT? Another keeper!

The photo below shows you how I finished off the inside using more of the same dp. Did you notice the cool lined paper behind my card? That is by the same company and coordinates with this paper. Love it!

That's all for tonight. I need to get this linked up and head to bed before too long. As always, I'm so glad you stopped by and I sincerely appreciate all your comments. They brighten my day and motivate me to keep on stampin' on! {{{HUGS}}} to you all and a very special shout out to ... Marisa! ... Creative Mish! ... Debbie! ... Gail! You make my ♥ smile! : )

~ Quote for Today ~

A hug is a handshake from the heart.

Author Unknown

{GYDOApr2011} Verve Diva Recipe Challenge!

2011-04-16T22:27:00.001-05:00

Today's card was created especially for the Get your DIVA on! April Recipe Challenge hosted by Amber Hight. This may be my first ever recipe challenge for cardmaking . . .and when you hear the PRIZE, you'll know why I had to give it a try!

This was a very unique *challenge* and so well organized and thought out. The recipe was determined by the first initial of our first name. So, since my name is Pam, I used the coordinating O-U recipe. If there was a particular category we didn't like, or if it had elements we didn't have, we were allowed to change ONE category. In my case, I used everything exactly as listed. It made it more of a challenge as I rarely use rhinestones, glitter and lace as embellishments. The colors were easy for me and I enjoy making different size cards too. This one is 3-1/4 x 6-1/2" - so saffron cardstock.

The pretty pink, green and yellow floral paper is from the Sweet Nectar Designer Mat Pad by K & Company. My "lace" is actually pink paper punched with a lace border punch. I put a dot of glue on each of the light pink polka dots and added a fine irridescent glitter to them. Once they dried, I added the VERVE sentiment from the Beautiful You set. It was die cut using one of Verve's awesome A Cut Above dies. I'm not sure if it was legal to add ribbon, but I attached a light pink polka dot bow as a final touch.

the inside

Here is the exciting part of this . . . the winner of the challenge will get to be a Guest Diva in an upcoming release of VERVE Stamps and will receive all of the stamps/dies for that release for free! How's THAT for exciting?!! Please wish me luck. :)

Today I had a FUN day stamping with my neighbor and special friend Vicki. We made some CUTE cards, if I do say so myself! I'll be sharing those with you tomorrow. Right now, I need to get this posted to meet the deadline and then get my buns to bed.

Thanks so much for stopping by and for all the sweet comments you've been leaving for me lately! It really makes my day to hear that others enjoy my cards as much as I enjoy creating them! ♥

Hugs & Blessings!

Quote for Today ~
God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it's me. ~Author unknown, variation of an excerpt from "The Serenity Prayer" by Reinhold Neibuhr

{SSD72} A Hop, a Sketch, and a Smile!

2011-04-14T21:24:00.001-05:00

The card I'm posting this evening was created especially for a super duper sketch challenge at the Skipping Stones Design Blog to celebrate the release of their new set "Uplifting!" One of these new sets is up for grabs and I hope to be that LUCKY stamper who wins it! You know, there is power in positive thinking! ;)

The terrific sketch I've used is another by the one and only Laurie Schmidlin. Check it out! And join in the FUN!

The base of my 4-1/4 x 5-1/2" card is certainly celery. I've layered on a Basic Grey floral designer paper and topped it all with a stamped SMILE colored with copic markers. (stamp by Bugawamps 2002)

I've finished off my card with some zig zag stitching, buttons and more of the brown and white bakers twine. Hope you like it! :)

Thanks for hopping by...please come back again soon!

Quote for Today ~

I enjoy mowing the lawn, it relaxes me.

It gets me outdoors, it's good exercise,

the freshly cut grass smells great,

and the engine is loud enough

that I'm sure no one else

can hear my thoughts...

or intrude upon them.

~Astrid Alauda

{SSSC112} Spring is in the Air!

2011-04-11T06:00:00.060-05:00

Happy Monday! Where do the weekends go?! We had rain on Saturday and things are beginning to green up around here, but I sure would like to see some SUNSHINE and warmer temps. As you can tell by my last couple cards. . . Spring is in the Air!

This cute little image is by My Favorite Things, Pure Innocence, Blooming Good Day! Isn't she adorable? And such fun to color with copic markers too! Today's layout is by Karen Giron for the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge. I think this one will be another keeper!

SSSC112

the inside reads "I'm here for you"

Just a quick post today! Thanks so much for blogging by!

Have a wonderful week!

~ Quote for Today ~

"Flowers always make people better,

happier, and more helpful;

they are sunshine,

food and medicine to the soul."

- Luther Burbank

{Mojo Monday Contest & Diva Dare} Color Me Spring!

2011-04-10T10:35:00.001-05:00

Hello, and Happy Sunday, my Friends!

Yesterday I created a card for this past week's Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge. I always enjoy playing along, but especially the first week of the month when there is a chance to win some *awesome* VERVE stamps! Not only that, but there is also a Color Me Spring DIVA Dare on the Verve blog for more chances to win!!! WoW! That's a whole lot of opportunity I couldn't pass up! : )

The DIVA DARE challenge is to make a card or project with the theme Color Me Spring. Well, when I think of SPRING, I think "April Showers Bring May Flowers!" So I colored up my adorable little Stampendous Changito monkeys playing in the rain and put together this card.

You can see that I followed the sketch almost exactly, although my circle may be a little larger to fit in these cute little monkeys and their umbrella.

The striped designer paper is fresh out of my scrap bin. Image was colored with copics and it's all wrapped up with more of my chocolate brown and white bakers twine! I've still got plenty of twine left to share with all of you, so please email me if you need any. I've got brown/white and black/white and it's only 2.50 for 25 yards!

Now, I better get my card linked up to the challenge blogs before the deadline. I may see you later with a card for Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge.

Have a great day!

Quote for Today ~

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!" ~ Robin Williams

Penny Black ATC Challenge

2011-04-09T08:53:00.000-05:00

Hopefully, you aren't getting tired of my little Hot Diggity Dog dachshund, because here I am using it again! :) This was created especially for the Penny Black ATC challenge this week.

In case you don't already know, Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) are miniature works of art the same size as baseball cards, 2 ½ X 3 ½ inches. I've made lots of them in the past and participated in various swaps, but its been awhile. As you'll see below, when I finished the ATC, I took it and created a greeting card using more of the same coordinating "Granola" designer papers by Basic Grey.

Wrapping it up with more of my chocolate brown and white baker's twine and another one of Debbie's crocheted flowers. What are the odds that I would have the perfect blue one?! Had to use it! :)

This morning is foggy and drizzly, but they say it's supposed to be sunny and 70's today. That would be awesome and I really hope our weatherman is right. If so, I'm going outside to clean off the flower gardens and soak up some sunshine!

Wishing you sunshine in your world today!

Quote for Today ~

Art is the only way to run away without leaving home. ~Twyla Tharp

{Many of you have commented about enjoying my quotes. Thank you! I *love* quotes, own several books of quotes and there are many great quote sites online too. One of my favorite sources is The Quote Garden. }

{cQc#79 & SSD71} You Color My World!

2011-04-06T22:25:00.003-05:00

Holy Moly! Would you look at this color combination?! I pulled out a sheet of cardstock for each one of these colors and I just shook my head. Seriously?!

Colour Q Challenge #79 by Arielle Gordon

The only way I could imagine these colors working together was to let the black and white dominate and accent with the other three. I found this fabulous sketch by one of my stamping idols ~ Laurie Schmidlin from Just Give Me Stamps. Laurie is truly one of the BEST in the business and this month Skipping Stones Designs is fortunate to have her as their guest sketch artist.

I started out with a 5-1/4" square of basic black and layered on a 5-1/8" square of polka dot designer paper. Then I cut my strips of black and white dp and lined them up in a neat little row. I had to refrain from stitching on this card as I thought it would be too much with the variety of prints. Instead, I brought out the BLING! What do you think? It's a little different than my norm, but I kind of like it. ;)

Special thanks to Arielle at the Colour Q for including my cards in her ColourQueen Courtiers for cQc #77 and 78. It really makes my day to know that others enjoy my cards as much as I enjoy creating them! :)

Happy Stamping!

Quote for Today ~
"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best," and then he had to stop and think. Because although eating honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called. ~A.A. Milne

{SSSC111} Fill Your Life With Sunshine...

2011-04-04T21:59:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday! Is your week getting off to a good start? I hope so! I worked late today and wasn't so sure that I felt like stamping this evening, but I really wanted to try the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge and this pretty new designer paper was calling my name.

My card is a 5-1/4" square of regal rose cardstock. I've used an assortment of designer papers from the Sweet Nectar Designer Mat Pad from K & Company. (see photo below) The large scalloped circle was cut on my Cricut using the Sweet Treats cartridge. It's so saffron cardstock stamped with the linen background and distressed with versafine vintage sepia ink. The sentiment is a wood block stamp from Hero Arts and the pretty little pink crocheted flower was made by my friend Debbie at The Paper Garden. I've layered it onto two so saffron flower punches and tied it up with a button and the brown and white bakers twine. If you need any bakers twine, please let me know as I've bought a HUGE spool of it!

Can you say PRETTY PAPER?!
purchased on sale at M's with 25% coupon! : )

Sketch by Karen Giron ~ The Sweetest Thing

the inside

Now I need to link up my card to the sketch challenge and check out all the others. Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week! Smiles . . .

Quote for Today ~

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. ~Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book

Making Baby Thank You Cards Today!

2011-04-03T10:48:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, my daughter Katie asked me if I would make a few baby thank you cards for her. She isn't due until July so she's giving me plenty of notice, but I couldn't resist jumping on the idea! And I just happened to have the cute little Baby Tees jumbo wheel out from yesterday, so that is what I used! What do you think?

You know me, I *really* wanted to add some stitching and buttons, but when you're making 25-30 to mail, SIMPLICITY is best! The most time consuming thing about making these will be cutting out all the little onsies to paper piece. I know I could just color it with markers, but I like the layered look and dimension it gives to the simple design. And to embellish...I've wrapped it up with some of my chocolate brown & white bakers twine! Love this stuff! ♥

In case you missed my earlier post, I bought a lifetime supply and will be selling it in my Etsy Shop. Either that, or just email me and I'll send you a paypal invoice. It's only 2.50 for 25 yards! I've got chocolate brown/white and also black/white. It's awesome to work with!

There will be an assortment of pink and lavendar ...all with the chocolate chip brown accents. The ink is early espresso.

Just thought I would share these in case any of you are looking for a simple design for thank yous, baby announcements, etc. Color me *excited* to become a GRANDMA!! ♥

Thank you for blogging by today! Have a warm and wonderful Sunday!

Quote for Today ~

Perfect love sometimes does not come until the first grandchild. ~Welsh Proverb

cQc #78 with MoJo! My First Circle Card!

2011-04-02T19:51:00.003-05:00

The colors that Arielle chose for this week's Colour Q Challenge are simply delicious! Or is it the yummy box of bon bons for inspiration that make me think that? Oh my, what I wouldn't give for a box of those right now!

Believe it or not, this may be my first ever round card. I'm really enjoying have the Cricut to cut these larger shapes. For the base of this card, which is a 5-1/4" scalloped circle, I used early espresso cardstock and the Sweet Treats cartridge. The flower design cut from kraft cardstock was actually a selection mistake when I was trying to cut out a 5" circle. It layered onto the scalloped background, so I used it anyway.

The kraft cardstock was stamped with the fine lace background and kraft ink and the edges were sponged with Versafine Vintage Sepia...my favorite distressing ink pad. The white center panel is a 2-3/4" square that I rolled with the Baby Tees jumbo wheel from Stampin' Up! I had forgotten I had this wheel and this is the first time I've inked it up. Have you ever done that? I mean, forgot you bought something? Sheesh!

I rolled the little baby tee onto pink pirouette cardstock using early espresso ink and cut it out to layer onto the white piece. Once I finished tying on the gingham ribbon and brown/white bakers twine, I attached that piece to the circle and then the pink felt flower and leaves. Hmmm... the pink pirouette didn't quite "go" with the other pinks! So, I restamped the onsie onto pretty in pink cardstock and layered it right over top the pink pirouette. I thought it looked better and gave the onsie a little more dimension. This may be a color challenge "foul". ;)

the inside . . .

Now, I don't want to forget to show you the awesome MoJo Monday sketch that was my inspiration for the round card. . .

Today has been a great day! I got several things accomplished around the house and had time to stamp and repair a few cards too. Why was I "repairing" cards? Well, a couple nights ago, I was having a glass of wine while blog surfing and when I reached across the desk, I knocked my wine glass over right beside a stack of my recent card creations!! Dang!! (although I said another word at the time!) I was so mad at myself and have officially banned wine from my stamp room! Thankfully, I only ruined one card entirely and the others I was able to salvage with new cardstock. : / And for you curious minds, that are wondering... it was a glass of one of my favorite wines (Moscato D'Italia - a sweet white wine) and I had only taken a couple sips! ;)

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Enjoy your weekend!

Quote for Today ~

A baby is born with a need to be loved and never outgrows it. ~ Frank A. Clark