{Sweet Sketch #5} Announcing . . .

. . . SWEET SKETCH WEDNESDAY CHALLENGE!

Sweet Sketch Wednesday is a FUN new sketch challenge created and hosted by Arlana at Sweetberry Designs.

In addition to Arlana, there are 7 fabulous design team members who participate and share their creations as a terrific source of inspiration for all of you! Well, let's make that 8 design team members! Yes! Arlana has invited me to join the team and this is my first "official" week to participate. :)

The sketches are so detailed and motivate me to think outside my norm. Also, as is the case this week. . . I may be using my neglected Spellbinder die shapes more often, not to mention all the other stamps and embellishments around here! :)

You're all invited to participate and can post a link to your cards using the handy dandy Mr. Linky. Just blog on over to Sweet Sketch Wednesday to be inspired by all the wonderful creations!

I want to say thank you so much to Arlana and the other DT members for the warm hearted welcome! It's my pleasure and a real honor to create alongside all of you! Let me introduce my super creative stamping friends:

Arlana ~ Sweetberry Designs

Nancy ~ Mulberry Station

Judi ~ Sweet Bloomin Scraps

Rose ~ Pink Lemonade

Stephanie ~ Handmade Creations

Kelly ~ My Bucket Overfloweth

Liz ~ Liz's Cards & Layouts

Sheri ~ Paper Crafty Creations

Is it really Wednesday already?! My vacation is going too too fast! I've been checking things off my "To-Do" list...car service, annual dr appt, puppy nails trimmed, weed garden, relax with a good book... :) My list is now down to the things that I need MW (Mr Wonderful) to help me with...or just do! We need new steps & railing on the deck, wash windows, etc. You know, I think he prefers it when I'm working full-time! :)

Oops! I almost forgot to give you a little info about my card. The stamp set is by Stampin Up ~ "Blossoms Abound" and I've used the oval Spellbinder dies to cut out the image and frame. The cardstock is Stampin Up old olive along with K & Company designer paper. It's from the Brenda Walton Madeline line of gorgeous florals. You'll notice I added some stitching and felt flowers and brads to embellish. Hope you like it!

Have a GREAT week and do what makes you SMILE!




Quote for Today ~

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be. ~Douglas Pagels

{MoJo Monday #94} Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries!

What do you think the idiom "Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries" means?

I've always thought it meant we have to take the bad with the good (or good with the bad :) Some say it means life is simple, pleasant and carefree, but I've often heard this phrase used ironically too. :) Anyway, it's a cute saying and you can take it however you want! ; )

Today has been a BUSY day...in a GOOD way! Have a mentioned that I'm on VACATION this week? Well, sort of. I got up early and went into work for about an hour to run the production reports for last week and then I drove down to Omaha to do some shopping. Really, my "excuse" for going was to take my VW Beetle into the dealership for a recalled brake light switch. How convenient that they are located right across the street from the Westroads Mall! :) And, no trip to Omaha is complete without stopping at Michaels and Archivers too! Which leads me right into this new stamp set...

It is a small little clear set by Basic Grey that I found in the $1.99 Spot at Archivers. First, I tried coloring direct to the stamp with my Stampin Up watercolor markers, but it stamped funky. Is there a secret to doing this with acrylic stamps? It works well with rubber stamps. So anyway, I just stamped the image in brown and colored the leaves and cherries with markers. I've also used a drop of red Stickles on the cherries to give them some sparkle and dimension.

The designer papers are all from a K & Company 4x6 Mat Pad ~ Citronella. It's full of bright, fun prints. {This is the same paper pad I used for Charmaine's card yesterday.}

My layout inspiration came from MoJo Monday Sketch #94. The first sketch of the month is MoJo Madness with a contest and PRIZES! :) There are some fabulous cards posted by the MoJo Makers you won't want to miss...so check it out and join in the FUN!

Happy Stamping & Smiles 2 U!

Did U Know?

"Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries" is a popular song with music by Ray Henderson and lyrics by Buddy G. DeSylva and Lew Brown, published in 1931. The song was revived in 1953 by Jaye P. Morgan.

Life is just a bowl of cherries

Don't take it serious,

Life's too mysterious

You work, You save, You worry so

But you can't take your dough

When you go, go, go

So keep repeating "It's the berries."

The strongest oak must fall

The sweet things in life

To you were just loaned

So how can you lose

What you've never owned

Life is just a bowl of cherries

So live and laugh, aha!

Laugh and love

Live and laugh,

Laugh and love,

Live and laugh at it all!

Happy Birthday Charmaine!

Have you heard of S. C. U. B. A.?

Well, today it stands for Super Creative Birthday Acknowledgement...and that's exactly what this is! A one-of-a-kind card created especially for a very dear, incredibly talented blog friend ~ CHARMAINE of OODABUG ALLEY!

Let's all wish Charmaine a very HAPPY DAY filled with many reasons to SMILE! :)

{ Note to Charmaine: I thought you would enjoy this colorful combo of bright happy colors... pacific point and tangerine tango! I'll mail it out tomorrow...better late than never! Bday Hugs & Smiles 2 U! }

This cute SCUBA Changito monkey image was sent to me by my stampin friend "Monkeylove" from the Stamp Shack. Thanks Patty! It was so FUN to color with copic markers. The designer paper is from a 4 x 6 K & Company Citronella pad. I thought the blue looked like water waves. :) The cute little felt flower embellishment is also by K & Company ~ Urban Rhapsody.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! I've got some exciting news to share in my next post, so stay tuned!

Smiles!





Quote for Today ~
Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year: The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again. ~Menachem Mendel Schneerson

{Sweet Sketch #4} It's Time To Celebrate!

You are all going to wonder what has gotten into me with TWO posts in one day! :) Well, it's a nice quiet, relaxing holiday with nothing much going on here until the local BIG BANG BOOM fireworks tonight!

Our weather is unseasonably cool and cloudy today so I've just stayed indoors stamping and blogging away! I'll admit that your SWEET comments on my last card have motivated me. Thank U so much!

One of the comments was from Arlana from Sweet Sketch Wednesday and she invited me over to check out her sketch challenge blog. WoW! I was totally inspired by her and her Design Team's incredible patriotic creations! They are all just FANTASTIC!

This layout was perfect for my little patriotic Biker Bee by Stampendous. I stamped the image with Versafine onyx black and colored it with a combination of Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils. The distressing was done with Versafine vintage sepia. I did change up the layout a little by placing the ribbon above the sentiment instead of below. I stitched on the sentiment before I realized it was too low to place the ribbon underneath. Oh well! In case you're wondering, the little sentiment is from the Stampin Up set ~ "A Little Birdie Told Me". Ever since I created my notebook with all my stamp sets, it's so much easier to find a stamp when I need it. I don't have any 4th of July sentiments, but knew there must be something in my arsenal that would work! :)

I'm not going into great detail so if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! I think most bloggers quickly view the photos and don't read all the riff raff anyway. Am I right? ;)

What a wondeful way to celebrate this INDEPENDENCE day!



I'm glad you stopped by! Happy 4th!

Another Quote 4 U Today ~

May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country! ~Daniel Webster

{WSC87} God Bless America!

Happy 4th of July!

We had the BEST time last night at a spectacular "Red, White & Blue Luau" hosted by our sweet DIL Jami and son Andrew. Jami is an awesome cook and she had authentic Hawaiian foods that were scrumptious! She down-played the fact that it was her 27th birthday and went to sooo much effort to make it a FUN, FUN evening...complete with pina coladas topped with cute umbrellas! :) Not only all that, but we celebrated with a spectacular fireworks show too! GOOD TIMES!!

It was late when we got home, but I was feeling patriotic and had this great card idea in my head for the Weekend Sketch Challenge hosted by Charmaine of Oodabug Alley fame. I was up WAY past my bedtime, but I made up for it this morning and slept in. :)



As for the card, I used the sentiment from the Stampin Up "God Bless America" set. First, I tried using the flag and punching circles out of it, but just didn't care for the flag cut up. So, I remembered these star buttons in my stash and went with them instead. I punched out the 1-1/4" circles, sewed the button on, and pop-dotted them onto the card. A little random stitching and distressing with Vintage Sepia ink, some ribbon tied on and wala! Oh, and the red cardstock piece was embossed with the Cuttlebug Script. It needed something, but I wasn't sure what. :)
It was a very BUSY and stressful week at work, but I'm HAPPY to say that I'm on VACATION now until the 13th. YaY!!! We don't have any major plans, but I've got quite a list of things I want to accomplish. One of my intentions is to get a few of my new stamps inky and cut into a few of these cool new designer paper pads! Stay tuned! :)

What are you doing to celebrate the 4th of July? I would love to hear about it! Whatever you're doing... be safe, have FUN and ENJOY every minute! God Bless U and your family all the military personel and their families. I'm so grateful for all their sacrifices for our FREEDOM!

Smiles,

Quote for Today ~

You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism. ~Erma Bombeck