Fa La La La La

This week the challenge at the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog is to create a card or project that would characterize a favorite Christmas song. I love to sing the song "Let It Snow", but I only want to see snow when I'm in Colorado for a ski trip. Otherwise, it can stay far away. This image is called Snowman's Friends. He's just too perfect for my song choice, and of course his little friends have to be cardinals.

The paper is from the Paper Studio, and I found the snowflake chain at Michaels, The snowflakes are actually Christmas ornaments for one of those mini-trees. For the life of me, I can't remember where I found the sentiment, but I do remember changing the color from black to white. I actually made this card this past Tuesday, and that old saying about a lot or water passing under the bridge holds true for my memory on this one.

Now that I've got my blog done, it's time to go start some decorating for Christmas. I sure hope you're all doing better at getting that task done than I am.

Show Me Thursday #5

It's Thursday again and Show Me Thursday on Sassy Cheryls Blog. For showing off your workspace and entering your space into Mr. Linky, you have a chance of winning a free Sassy Cheryls image of your choice. Sounds like a win-win to me. Now I normally post a disaster area.
Surprisingly this week I think I'm going to disappoint you all today. My work space is rather blah(at least for me). I actually cleaned up a bit last night after I finished making a couple of cards.

On Sunday, I had my Copics box propped on a tray at an angle. I shook the table when I was putting something through my Cuttlebug. The box flipped over and Copics went everywhere. The funny thing is that I knew this was going to happen and I'd asked my hubby the night before if he could build me a stand. When I asked, it was 8 at night, he said "NOW?" I said no, when I should have said YES. So immediately after the disaster, DH built me a stand to sit the box on so that now I can see the tops of the Copics while sitting, but don't have to fear the box flipping over either. As a safety precaution, I added some velcro staps to the back just in case. Thank goodness for handy husbands and velcro.

And Let's Do Frugal Again

This is my second card for the Frugal Card Challenge over on the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog. For this entry, I chose this image called A Helping Hand. This is another of Phindy's baby images that called my name. I love the way Phindy draws babies and small children. I colored my image with Copics.

Again, the pink background paper is my freebie. This digital paper is from a free kit called Snow Princess(picked on purpose because these two cuties are surely Princesses) by J Baechtold. These papers are just one of numberous free kits offered by several different designers at ComputerScrapbook.com. The blue paper is from a Paper Studio.

When it came to the sentiment, I have to say the first thing that came to mind was "Thanks for a helping hand". My second thought was "Put a plug in it", but I wasn't really sure who would be brave enough to send a card out with that sentiment. I ended up with this sentiment from Hampton Arts, and I'm thinking these two are going to BFFs.

Frugal Phindy Challenge

One might wonder if there is anything frugal about making cards, and to that I would have to respond "not much". However there are artists/designers out there that are very generous with their creations. This week's challenge over on the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog was to make a frugal card in which at least one element was free. Now Phindy has been more than generous with free images. You can get them by becoming a member of her PCP group HERE(we'd love to have you become a member of the group and join us in the discussions). This image wasn't free, but I've been wanting to use it in a card forever. It's called First Christmas, and you can find it along with a whole bucket of wonderful images at Phindy's Store. My niece and nephew had their first child in September, so this card will be perfect for them. He's colored with Copics, and I love him in red on that Christmas paper. Don't you just want to pinch his cheeks?

So you're asking where's the free part of this challenge? Well I've gotten hooked on digital papers. With my CISS ink system, I don't have to worry about replacing cartridges so I've been collecting papers(I've got an extra external hard drive that I'm loading up with papers). This paper is a freebie from Summer Drigg's Old Fashioned Kit that she just recently put up on her blog, Summertime Designs. This train paper was perfect for a little boy. I love all her papers, and her talent and generosity are amazing. My sentiment is also free, since I created it in Photoshop. The train tag is a Dingbat font, so this worked out perfectly. Final touch was to add a Christmas bow under the baby, so he looks like he's all but wrapped as a gift. I do think babies are the best presents ever, don't you agree?

Show Me The Love

This week the challenge at Sassy Cheryls Challenge Blog is to create a card with "Thinking Of Love" as the theme. I used this image called Snowmen In Love. Since I used very feminine colors I decided this depicted BFFs. With that thought in mind I found this paper from a Paper Studio scrap pack, and it had the sentiment on the paper. I colored(what little coloring their was to do) with my copics. I used my Martha Stewart Scoring board to score the pink paper before cutting out the scalloped circle with my Spellbinders. I also used my Martha Stewart punch and some shimmery ribbon with a bow as an accent.

Also check out the Color me Challenge and the Show Me Thursday Challenge over on Sassy Cheryls Blog. There are a bunch of us nosey parkers and we like to see what you're working on and what your space looks like.

Show Me Thursday #4

It's that time of week where Sassy Cheryl wants to snoop and see what you're working on. I figure I'll show you my mess for a chance at a free Sassy Cheryl image. All you have to do is post a picture of your workspace and what you're working on. It doesn't have to be a Sassy image either. She just wants to give us all an opportunity to snoop in each other's space.

This first shot is my table space in TazMania. I'm taking a Copic Class online, so that's what I'm working on in my space. If you look, you'll see my compressor that I purchased for my birthday. Unlike Cathy, I don't need a pet to get good gifts. As long as I have the debit card, I'm good.

The second shot is my other crafting space. As most of you know, I print a lot of my papers that I use, so here's a shot of my office space. This used to be my sewing room in the house, so when I moved the sewing stuff to TM, I converted this space into my office. I now have a window that I can see out of while I'm working. If you'll look to the right of my printer, you'll see several bottles of ink. This is my CISS(Continuous Ink Supply System). This is something that an English friend, thanks Paula, put me onto and has saved me more dollars in ink than you can imagine. This setup is the equivalent of 6 sets of cartridges and it cost the equivalent of one set of ink cartridges. Now when I need more ink, I just add to the bottles(ink alone is even cheaper). It's become one of my favorite tools.

Barbara, the pic over my desk is the view of the ocean from a bluff in Encinitas.

So that's my space for this week. Don't forget to post yours and then link it to the Mr. Linky at Sassy Cheryls Blog. I'm looking forward to nosing around in your space.

Christmas Open House

Every year, our gift to my husband's family is to host an Open House Christmas night. His sister started the tradition and then moved. I took up the slack. I have no idea how long I've been doing it, but it's been over 20 years. No one is expected to bring anything but themselves and their families. All of his siblings(of which 12 are still living) and families down to grandchildren, along with my "family" that lives here. Numbers vary from year to year. We've had as many as 75 and as few as 35, but it's chaos and mayhem and fun.

I've finally got this year's invitation worked out, and I've started making them. I thought I'd post an invitation while I was watching Sanctuary. The papers are from NitWit Collections HoHoHo kit and Simple Joys Too Kit. The Santa Boot is a file I purchased from Whimsie Doodle after seeing some cards made by Judy Kreutcher. When I saw this boot, I knew it had to be a part of my invitations. I used my Make The Cut Software to convert the JPEG file into a cutting file to use with the Cricut and also to cut the HoHoHo message. I punched the Jingle Bells out of some metallic paper using my Martha Stewart punch, embossed the stocking top and added some ribbon.

For the invitation part I simply inserted a text block using Word. Now, if I can just get all parts printed, cut out, assembled and in addressed envelopes this weekend, I'll be making real progress. Of course, there's a card challenge or two I have to get entries made for, so I might just have to take a break.

Thanks for taking a peak, and I'll be sure to post pics from the actual Open House. This year for the MM and his family are going to be here for Christmas for the first time since he was born. I can hardly wait.

Color Me Challenge #3

This is the 3rd week of Sassy Cheryls Color Me Challenge. Cheryl offers an image or two at a reduced price and gives us a chance to be the coloring inspiration for the colored image she has in her Store. Of course, I should warn you that when you go to purchase the ones for the Color Me Challenge, you probably won't check out without a few more images to keep them company. Oh and I should also tell you, if you are selected as the Color inspiration winner, you will be acknowledged as the inspiration in the store, and you win a free image. That's called a twofer in my book.

For my image, I had to have this wonderfully sweet image called "The Simplest of Gifts". The first time I saw this image was on the Show Me Thursday, and I knew I had to have it for a couple of reasons. First of those is the message that it sends - The simplest of Gifts are usually the best. The second reason is that it reminded me so much of my BFF's oldest granddaughter when she was a toddler. All the little girls I've known had to have a red dress coat and most of them were the London Fog red corduroy, thus my coloring scheme.

I've colored her with my Copics. I made sure her hat, scarf and coat matched, because I know her Mama picked them out. However, you'll notice that the outerwear might be matching, but when it comes down to what she's wearing, she's got on her favorite pink and green, and she doesn't care if it doesn't match a red coat.

Papers are from Summer Driggs Believe Kit and NitWit Collections Simple Joys Too Kit. The sentiment is one I created in Photoshop and just seemed appropriate for the image. Don't you love my embellishments? I was going to use fake money, but they wanted $5 for the kit. Figured I'd come out ahead with the 3 quarters and seemed really appropriate with this image.

Well I had a wonderful time with this one, so I've won after all. Oh and please come join in the fun with the Show Me Thursday. Post a link to shots of what you're working on on Sassy Cheryls Blog and be entered for a chance for a free image.

Show Me Thursday #3

It's another Thursday and time to show Cheryl and all the rest of us nosy parkers what's on your desk. In my case, my table top is really neat, which means I'm not working on much. Cheryl and I have a running dialog. As much as I'd like to be a neat freak, I'm not. I'm not going change either, but I am trying to turn over a new leaf and try not to let my messes get too bad. TM is looking pretty good today, because I'm working on the design of a Open House Invitation. Things didn't work out like I wanted, so I punted. I decided rather to put my time to good use and make a light box using this tutorial from Jeffrey Bail HERE. I took a picture of a card I'd previously done and the difference is dramatic.

So here are pics of my space today and my lightbox. Please check out Sassy Cheryls Blog and join in the fun. Let us nosy around in your space and be sure to enter the challenge. All it requires is a picture of your desk, and you might just win a free image.

Jingle Bell Time, It's a Swell Time

I'll now have that earwig in my head from now until Christmas, I'm sure. This week is the Color Me Challenge #2 over on Sassy Cheryl's blog. Every week she puts up an image or two that can be purchased at a reduced price. The purpose is for us to do the coloring work for Cheryl for the chance to win a free image. If your image is selected, she'll color her image like yours, plus use your card as an example. I figure I win any way, since I get the images at a reduced price, and you know I'm going to buy them anyway. The winner was going to be picked each week by her son Zach, but I think he saw the challenge as threatening(fear of a bunch of rampant crafters coming after him if they weren't picked).

It just so happens that my card is pulling double duty, as it's also going to be my entry in the Sassy Cheryls Challenge Blog Countdown to Christmas. When I was in Phoenix, I found a bag of tiny jingle bells(they don't jingle) along with a Martha Stewart Jingle Bell punch. When I saw the"Shining Rudolph's Nose" image and that both Rudolph and the elf were sporting jingle bells, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. The image is colored with my Copics, and the paper is from Paper Pizazz. I sewed the tiny bells to a length of ribbon and punched the jingle bells out of gold metallic paper and popped them up with pop dots.

The sentiment needed to have some reference to Christmas countdown, and then I remembered Brenda Lee's "Jingle Bell Rock". When you start hearing that song on the radio, you know Christmas is really on it's way. And when I hear that song, it takes me back to my school days and my dancing class. We always had a dance that we learned around Christmas to that song.

A new Color Me Challenge starts tomorrow, so be sure to check it out on Sassy Cheryl's blog. I promise you won't be disappointed. Also be sure and check out the Sassy Cheryls Store. She's already added the new images for the week, and I can promise you won't be disappointed.

Pretty Princess and a Castle

It's been a two week challenge at Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog. The challenge issued was to create a card or project with a Princess or a Prince with a scene. Christy has a great Castle Image in her store; and using it for a go by, I created a castle card using my Make The Cut software, and then cutting it with my Cricut. I added some pencil lines to create the blocks of the castle. Christy also had this great banner and this was a freebie on her PCP site. If you aren't a member, we'd love to have you join us.

The card is a tri-fold, so I added the sentiment in the first opening. I created it in Photoshop, and I lined the inside of the castle with some gray paper I found in my scrap box.

Finally you open the card to find the Prince and Princess. The image is called As You Wish and is colored with Copics. They remind me of Robin Hood and Marion, and so I colored it that way. I added a bland gray panel for a message to be written.

I think my card turned out pretty well. I'd love to hear from you though. Thanks for stopping by.

A Sketch and Just in Time

The challenge this week over on the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog is to create a card using this sketch. I know you're used to me posting in just under the wire, but I had a need for a baby card for my next expected great nephew. His shower was today, so I was down to the wire on getting the card made(I'm always the last minute on something). A sketch instead of a theme was the perfect challenge for me this week .

When it comes to babies and small children no one does it better than Phindy. She had me with the Summer cuties, and now she's got me addicted with the Christmas cuties. If you haven't checked them out, please go check out her Store. I assure you, you won't be disappointed, but you may need to be rebudgeting once you get there. For this card I chose the image "Sweet Dreams". I have a thing for sleeping babies in sleepers.

The papers are from the Rubber Ducky Boy kit from Simply Sweet Designs. Kim has some great kits in a three menu plan, The Sweet, The Low Fat and the Fat Free(free kits). Be sure to check them out. I printed them all on vellums, and I loved the way the transparency of the prints added a lightness to the card. I colored the image with Copics, then cut it out and put it on a Spellbinders Scalloped Circle using Pop Dots for some added dimension. I also used my Spica yellow pen to color in the stars on the circle

The sentiment is from Elegant Word Art by Bethany, and sums up perfectly my own thoughts on babies. I added the star paper clips that I purchased from Office Depot out of the bargain bins. Glad I found the perfect use for them.

I got the best compliment today on my card. My niece opened it, commented on the beauty of the card and then said, Oh I know who made this, Aunt Shirley.

Christmas Is Coming

And it's coming a whole lot faster than I'm wanting it to, I can tell you. I'm no where near where I need to be. I think it's possibly because I'd rather be carding in TM than taking care of the real stuff. Oh well, it'll all sort itself out. In the meantime, this week, the DT at Phindy's Place Challenge Blog have issued an edict to create a Christmas Card or Project. Well with all the Chrismas Cuties in Phindy's Store, not a real challenge. My challenge is just sitting down and doing it, which is exactly what I did this morning. Nothing like getting in under the wire two weeks in a row.

For my card, I chose this image called Riding Rudolph. How many pets have had to suffer the humiliation of having clothes, and caps and even reindeer antlers on them. This poor pup looks like he's wondering what he did to deserve this. Yet isn't that little boy the cutest thing and having the best time ever. I colored this image with Prismas and blended with a blending pen. I noticed some bleeding, but can't fix it at this late point. Papers are from Free Christmas Scrapbooking. I couldn't find just the right Sentiment and this one came to mind, so I worked it up in Photoshop pretty quick.

Now I've got to get off here and get busy getting ready for a meeting I've got to lead.

Show Me Thursday #2

It's Show Me Thursday over on Sassy Cheryl's Personal Blog and this week I'm back home. WOOHOOO. Since arriving home, I've been in full out crafting mode, other than an all day trip to Jackson(with a stop by Hobby Lobby of course) for a birthday lunch with my HS friends. Chaos reigns. I cleaned up a little bit.

First picture shows the table area(what's supposed to be my half) where I actually sit and color. You can see several colored versions of Jumping Jack Santa. The castle is one I created with my Make the Cut software and is for another challenge for Princesses. The last image is a Phindy's Place Christmas challenge and is due today. Since taking the picture, I've got the card made except for the sentiment. I came back to the house to do that and decided to post SMT first. The small Cricut you see on the far wall is my neighbor's and that side of the table and room is supposed to be hers to use. Since she's been redoing her house, I've taken over everything.

The second picture shows the tall table right behind my coloring area(top is a part of a bowling alley lane and it's finished with walnut). It's where I'm set up to take pictures of my cards and also where I do the rubber stamping. Today, it's also showing all those Martha Stewart punches I got ON SALE in Phoenix last week. I need DH to build me a new shelf so I have a place to put them.(I'll show you that shelf next week).

This third picture shows you my computer desk(laptop is in the house) setup with my printer and my Cricut. Unlike Cheryl, I'm all over the place. You can see my carport and all the leaves that have fallen. They don't get raked until they all fall off.

This last picture is a look inside my cabinets that my BFF's DH, my DH and I built just for Tazmania. I of course did the finish job.

As you can all see, I need to take a week or two or three and organize. Not happening any time soon. Why organize when you can have more fun crafting, and now with the Color Me Challenge Cheryl has going on with her images, I have even less time to clean and organize.

Hope you enjoyed your visit.

Jumping Jack Who?

I always thought it was Jumping Jack Flash, but I guess it's okay for it to be Jumping Jack Santa. Maybe he's getting in shape for the upcoming holidays. Sassy Cheryl has started two challenges on her blog each week. On Tuesdays, the challenge is to create a card using a new image for the week. The image is available at a reduced price. The winner(chosen by her son) will be the winner of having the Sassy Cheryl's color the image for the store like yours. Your card will also be posted with the colored image in the Sassy Cheryl Store as inspiration.

I like the quirkiness of Cheryl's images and feel they deserve to be colored out of the norm. Having said that, I think you can say I've stepped outside that particular box. My image is colored with Copics(did I tell you I'm back home with all my stuff and can you see my smiling face). The DPs are from PickleberryPop and are from Katie Fairlie's Advent Christmas papers.

I saw an interesting card on the cover of a Paper Wishes catalog, and used it as my inspiration for my card. Figure that about this time of the year with only 6 weeks to Christmas, Santa is bound to be in a spin, so I decided to make a Spinner card, and add a sentiment that also spins.

Oh, and the second challenge is called Show Me Thursday. Each Thursday you are to post your workspace, and what you're working on. The winner of this challenge is going to be picked by the Random Generator and will win a free image. Works for me, and hope to see you all there.

Hope you'll check out the challenge and join in the fun.

Could We Have a Little Tulle or Ribbon Please?

Talk about challenges, try creating a challenge card that calls for tulle or ribbon when you're miles and miles away from your stash. I brought a few supplies with me, but no ribbon and for sure no tulle. The Sassy Cheryls Challenge Blog challenge this week was to use one or the other. Oh well, I was in Phoenix, the land of many Michaels, so seemed like a good excuse to increase my supplies.

The image I chose to use is Do The Jig, and it's just one of many great Santas at Sassy Cheryls Store. I actually colored this with watercolors(I just couldn't get my copics in the suitcase), and I'm definitely on a learning curve with them.

The digital papers is called Holly on the Green, and it's from Paper Pizazz. I used a sheer ribbon and twisted it as I looped it through the Linked Trim, double edged punch from Martha Stewart(one of my Michaels' purchases of the week). I added the Christmas lights that are actually trim for a miniature Christmas tree.

Oh and Sassy Cheryl has started a new challenge on the Sassy Cheryl Blog, where you might be the coloring inspiration for her colored images. Check out all the details on her Blog.

Workspace Thursday

Sassy Cheryl's has started two challenges on her personal blog this week. One is called "Color it for me" and is going to give you a chance to be the color inspiration for one of her colored images. She'll supply the image at a reduced price. You just need to color it and turn it into a card(the card is going to be inspiration on the store site) and post it on the blog by 9 p.m. EST on Tuesday. The other challenge is to share your workspace and what you're working on. A winner will be picked by True Random Generator and will receive a free image. This challenge is for Thursdays.

As I've mentioned previously, I am in Phoenix and no where near TazMania. However, I didn't let that stop me from creating my usual crafting mess. I just had to find a place to make it. I had the ironing board out to iron MM's cowboy shirt for school pictures and decided it would make the perfect cutting board.

I can promise you that next week my space will be bigger with lots more tools and "stuff", but I'm pretty sure it'll be a bigger mess too.

3-2-1 Done

Besides a DT team that can produce the most inspiring cards, the Phindy's Place DT is always there for a great challenge on the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog. This week's challenge is a recipe challenge. 3-2-1 which translates into 3 elements of one kind, two elements of another kind and one element of yet another type. This normally wouldn't have been such a difficult challenge for me, but I'm in Phoenix and over a thousand miles from TazMania and my tools and supplies. I couldn't haul my Copics and just barely had room for my minimal supply of Prismacolors. This being the case, I needed an image that needed minimal coloring. Sweet Carol, not only fit the bill, but I had already printed it out. Oh and just so you know, Phindy has added a country church scene to the Store, that would be perfect with this image.

A trip to Michael's and JoAnn's netted the papers, the sentiment and the poinsettas. Then it was just a matter of finding the time(I'm babysitting my grandson this week and he's keeping me pretty busy keeping him entertained) and space(I'm working off an ironing board and part of the kitchen table) to get my card assembled.

I wish I thought I had time to get another card done for the challenge, but MM isn't going to school tomorrow, so I will be at his mercy for the entire day.

Thanks for stopping by.

Think Fall

I have to say in the "realest" sense of the word, thinking fall has been kind of hard to do in the Deep South this year. Looks like we're going from summer to winter and missing the best parts of fall, days of temps that are just perfect and leaves changing to gorgeous shades from deepest yellow to brilliant red. This year we get hot one day and cold the next, and because it's been so dry, the leaves are going from green to brown and a fast fall off the trees.

This week Jeni, one of the DTs on Sassy Cheryls Challenge Blog, has challenged us to create a card using fall colors. This adorable image is called "Crosseyed Butterfly" With fall coming on, butterflies are going to be gone for a while, so she's enjoying this last one of the season. The image is colored with copics. Be sure to check out the Sassy Cheryls Store , as she's adding new images all the time. Oh and she's just added some adorably mischievous elves.

The papers are all from Summer Drigg's Falling for Fall kit. I even used the elements of the leaves and acorns from the kit with my Make the Cut software to create the cut files for the leaves and acorn to cout with my Cricut. The Thankful sentiment was from the $1 bin from Michaels and perfect for this last sighting of a butterfly.

Hope you all have a wonderful and crafty day and week.

Olive, Purple and Mustard

What do these colors have in common? They're the colors to be used this week on the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog. I happen to think they're a great color combination. The polka dotted paper is from a pack I picked up at Tuesday Morning and the other papers are from Summer Driggs Owl Always Love Spring Kit.

The image is "Donna" and such a fun image as are all the images found at Tiddly Inks Store. I love the idea of children with umbrellas and rubber boots. I paper pieced those and colored the rest of her with my Copics. I used the Scalloped Octagon and then used my Bella's Baubles .

Back to answering the questions of my grandson whom I'm babysitting.

What's Your Favorite Color

That was the last challenge posted on the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog posted two weeks ago. Since that challenge was posted, Phindy's Place on PCP reached a 1000 member milestone, and so last week was all about challenges to celebrate.

We were also allowed to submit one of the challenge cards from the 1000 Member Celebration on the Favorite Color challenge. I have two favorite colors Red and Pink. Both are bright happy colors. One of the challenges for the Celebration was a non-traditional colored Christmas card. Since that rulled out me using red, I went with pink. This image is called "It's all downhill from here" and I think she's just about the cutest thing ever. Papers are from Summer Driggs. The pearl heart circles were some I bought in a pack and came in the circles.

I'm late in getting this blogged, but this last week has been hectic with trying to get the teepee mailed and keep up with the Celebration Challenges. I'm so glad I did because I actually won the Non-Traditional Color Challenge and a GC at the Phindy's Place Store. WOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!

Thanks for stopping by.

I'm In a Spin Again

Boy am I ever spinning after the time I've had getting the challenge making a spinner card on the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog. I kind of got sidetracked, and I'm late in getting my challenge card done.

One of the Freebies on Tiddly Inks PCP forum was a Harmony Border, and I immediately got an idea of using it for my spinner portion and having the notes spin down the bars of music. The next thing that came to me, was the sentiment. It had to have something to do with music, and "YOU are the song that makes my heart sing" came to mind. Yeah, I know it's cheesy but what the hay? I went into Photoshop and created the word art. The last thing I had to come up with is the perfect image to go with the rest. Well now that wasn't a challenge, since what woman wouldn't want a card from Charles holding a tulip and a cheesy saying like this. What little coloring there is was done with Copics.

I used my Make the Cut software to design the zigzag path for the spinner to follow and then cut it with my Cricut. I put a second copy of the border underneath so it really looks like one piece of music. The hardest thing I had to deal with, is that I didn't have any pop dots. When I tried punching a dot out of cardboard and attaching the penny, the cardboard just kept separating in layers. I finally used a hole punch and punched a dot in my foam tape. I will definitely be buying some pop dots the next time I get to Hobby Lobby or Michaels.

I'll be adding this card to the box of OWH cards I'm mailing tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by, and I love comments.

Be There But Not Square!

This week on the Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog, the dare was to create a card that wasn't square. OK, I had an idea for a card that I had seen somewhere and was going to use the template for it. Before I could take action, another challenge used that shape, and I didn't want two cards with the same shape. I put on my thinking cap(do any of you remember Tom Terrific from Captain Kangaroo?), and I had an idea for making a mug card. This is pretty simple to create if you have a Cricut and MTC. I knew there was a Sassy Cheryl image of a snowman with a hot beverage. Fortunately for Cheryl, I didn't have it so I had to go shopping at the store, and needless to say, while I was there made a few more purchases. I mean how can you leave with only one image?

When I found this image called "Cappuccino Snowman", it was a sign. Up until about the summer of 2004, I had been a one cup of coffee in the morning for the caffeine kind of person. That summer I went to California to visit a friend, and she got me hooked on lattes. She had an espresso machine, and we started every morning with a Sugar Free Caramel Latte(VENTI). When I returned home to the town of no Starbucks and craving a latte, I invested in my own espresso machine. Now I can have a latte anytime I want one and have the Points(Weight Watcher speak) for one. Since it's made with a cup of milk, it's a great way to get in my calcium(that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it). My snowman is colored with Copics.

It was a simple job to create just a mug with my Make the Cut Software and my Cricut, but when it became a latte, it needed foam, so I added some joined circles to the back of the card shape to give it the foam look. I cut the cup shape out of white cardstock and then out of this Snowman paper from The Paper Studio and glued them together. The sentiment was created in Photoshop, and then I used the joined circle shape to cut the sentiment. Lastly I took some chalk and added some cream tones to the froth and to the sides of the card. My last touch was to add some of the punched heart remains from my Martha Stewart Looped Heart corner punch to the froth sentiment and a heart charm to the bow.

If I tell you I love you a latte, that means I REALLY love you. Thanks for stopping by.

Monkey Moo's Birthday Teepee

When my cousin's child(my other daughter) was 3, a friend saw a teepee made on the PBS network. She took some notes and passed them along to me. For Peggy's 4th Christmas, I made her a teepee and painted it. That was 15 years ago and since then, I've made many and given them to friends for their grandchildren's enjoyment. Now you would think the grandparents would give the kids the teepees to take to their homes to play with, but no, they keep them at their house.

Well MonkeyMoo is turning 4 in December, and I've had his teepee sewn together for at least 18 months, but dreaded the actual painting of it. I tend to try to better myself with each teepee and try not to do too much duplicating. MonkeyMoo is all about cowboys, but the only Indians he's familiar with are the ones that are from India. This teepee is going to be an educational tool to teach him about the Native Americans of our country.

The neat thing about this teepee is that the poles come together, the panels wrap around them and then it fits in a bag and slides under the bed. This is a picture of the teepee in it's bag and then out of the bag.

When I make a teepee, I try to include things that are special to that child, and I also like to tell a story. MonkeyMoo is funny about the moon and can spot it instantly. This summer when I was visiting, we were driving home and I said there's your moon. He quickly told me "no, that'a not my moon. That is the San Diego moon." Seems according to him, his moon was in Africa on "bacation", and this was at 3 1/2.

The top of the teepee is about the sky, so needless to say, the top of MM's teepee had to be about the moon and stars. I have painted a different phase of the moon on each panel of the teepee, banded by a band of light and then a band of stars.

The bottom of the teepee is the part that says something about the land and the seas, and the middle sections tell the story. I used feather symbols with the earth tone green for the bottom border.

The front panel is the entrance and for me usually gives the warrior's name. I'm thinking White Eagle, so I painted a bald eagle on one side of the entrance. We have bald eagles here on the creek, and we always go looking for them whenever MM is here for a visit. The right side of the entrance is showing the lances and shields, signs of a warrior. Now MonkeyMoo is all about hunting and camouflage. The sign of the sun is over the front door.

There is a family of foxes that live down the road from us. People have fed them so they hang out there everyday around dusk. This summer when MM was here, we would drive down to see them every evening. I thought it would be neat to add the foxes to MM's teepee. Another reason for adding the fox scene, especially the reflection part, is that in Plains Indian stories, the fox is the trickster. Stories of the fox and his ways were used to teach lessons to the Indian children. There is a Indian story of a Fox and a Porcupine and how the porcupine used his reflection to outsmart the fox.

At this point, I think I should add a disclaimer that I am not an artist. If I can see a picture of something I can duplicate it, and with my early teepees, that's what I did. Of course, with MTC and a Cricut, I can cut out the shapes and then I only have to paint it.

The next panel displays the hunter's prowess by showing a buffalo hunt. This is a scene I have painted on several teepees, simply because it the hunt for buffalo was such a basic part of the Plains Indians lives. They wasted none of the buffalo using everything from hides for clothing, the meat for food and the bones for decorations and tools.

My husband has been elk hunting in Colorado. Elk are some magnicificent creatures. My daughter had specifically requested that the teepee have an elk and an eagle on it, so on this panel I included both.

The last of the five panel is a scene I've painted many times. It's horses running wild, much as they still do in parts of the Rocky Mountains. I can only imagine how glorious a herd of wild horses would have looked in the times of the Plains Indians, but I'm betting it was a sight to behold.

MonkeyMoo loves horses and loves to ride them. He almost wore his Grandpa out this summer when he rode in the ring all by himself(DH is walking beside him) for two hours in some terrible heat.

Sewing the teepee together and painting it are not all of the project. Thanks to my husband for cutting the poles, drilling the holes and helping me to assemble the teepee. I couldn't have done it without you honey(I'll keep telling him this).

A Tribute to our Furry Friends

Sometimes they're real and some times they're stuffed, but whatever they are, we form attachments to them that will last a lifetime. This week the Sassy Cheryl's DT challenged us to create a project dedicated to our furry friends.

The image I've chosen is called Beach Swing. How many times have you seen a child treat their furry stuffed animal as if it were real? Why my grandson MonkeyMoo has a stuffed monkey that he says is his brudder, John. I think that's why this image appeals to me so much. Of course, I also love the expression on the bear's face. The image is colored with Copics and with lots of fun colors. Nothing has to match when you're going to the beach. The sketch I used is a take off on the Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps Sketch Challenge # 40.

Papers are from a The Paper Studio paper pack called So-So Sweet and have just enough sparkle to them to make them fun. I used a MS punch to cut out my ribbon strip and decided to weave ribbon rather than run it straight. The sentiment is from a Fiskars Pack and is a Heidi Grace design. I think it says it all.

Can't believe gotten two cards done today, plus finished putting the teepee together. Of course TazMania is still a disaster and I've got a wasp or dirt dobber in here driving me crazy.

Thanks for popping by. Off to work on the bag for the teepee and then I can blog it.

Halloween Treat Bag or Box

The challenge over on the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog this week is to create a treat bag or box. Well, I wasn't sure I was going to make it on this challenge or not, as I have been painting a teepee for MonkeyMoo's birthday for the past week. However, I finished the painting yesterday, and last night with the help of MeFlick Cricut and More, I was able to find a cut file for a small treat bag. I modified it in my MTC software a bit by adding a window that I used clear transparency in and then adding a flap with double cut outs so that I could close the bag with a ribbon. I then cut the file with my Cricut.

I printed out the Halloween Pumpkin paper from the Tiddly Inks store and my image is the sweet Candy Avenger. She's colored with Copics. I used my latest Spellbinder purchase, the Lattice Pendant, that I got on the clearance aisle at Hobby Lobby to frame my image. I then added a black frame to make the image pop a little more. I mounted the framed image to the back side of the bag, so that no matter what you're looking at you're seeing something good.

The only thing I had in the house to add to the treat bag that would fit were these caramels, that my husband keeps on hand in case his blood sugar does a dive. Of course, I'm thinking some candy corn or some skittles would be a great add.

Thanks for stopping by. I'm always glad for some company and some comments.

Fancy Folds Again

I knew that with my project of the week being to paint a teepee, if I had any chance to get a second card done for the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog, it was going to have to be over the weekend. I got it made, but since painting has commenced on the teepee, I haven't had time to blog it. Decided that while I'm having to hang near the kitchen while my greens are cooking, this was my chance to post.

In case you haven't heard Phindy's Place PCP group hit 1000 members on Sunday, and a celebration is in the works. If you aren't a member, you really ought to check it out. There are some cute freebies, and I have to tell you that the group that hangs out there and chats, are about the nicest group of folks you'd ever want to know. The support offered by all is nothing short of amazing, and the topics range the full spectrum.

For this card I found the fancy fold tutorial at A Path of Paper. I'm not sure that it has a name, but the instructions were pretty easy to follow. The image is of course a Cutie, but this time from the Summer group and is called appropriately Summer Blossom. I love babies, so all I can say about the selection of cutes that Phindy has in her Store is that there can never be enough. Her overalls are paper pieced and everything else is colored with Copics. The papers for the entire card came out of my stash box., so no clue as to whose paper it is. The sentiment is from Ginger's House and seemed to be perfect for this image. We so often forget to see the miracles in life's everyday happening and take so much for granted.

Thought you'd like to see how the card opens up with even more folds. Thanks for stopping by.