Christmas In August

Did someone say Christmas in August? I have to tell you, when you're battling heat and humidity like we are here in the Deep South. it's a hard concept to wrap your mind around. I just had to keep reminding myself of how cold it was last winter, and how I couldn't wait for summer. That old adage about being careful of what you wish for, couldn't me more true this year.

At any rate, the challenge at Phindy's Place Challenge Blog was to create a Christmas Card. Well I didn't really have an image that I thought would work for what I wanted to do, so it was a great excuse to go shopping(as if I needed an excuse). Oh but to make it better, it's Phindy's End of Summer Sale, buy 3 and get one free(enter discount code PS914). Check it out here at the Phindy's Place Store. You won't be disapponted.

I know, I know, just get on with it. The image I chose is called Milk and Cookies for Who? Isnt' he the most adorable little fellow, and no I don't mean the cat. I decided I wanted to do a gate card, but to make it more interesting add an aperture to it. I wanted you to have a peak of my image from the outside of the card. I cut a circle of clear acrylic and then a circle of green. The holly leaves were a free image from Birds Cards blog, that I traced in my MTC software and cut with my Cricut. I added some leaf lines and shaped them a bit, finally adding some red jewels for my holly berries. It's really hard to tie a decent wreath both using 1/4" satin ribbon. I'm much better with 3" wide ribbon. I added the snowflakes to the front, so that I could catch the lip of the wreath under them to hold the card closed. Does that little glimpse of my little fellow give you a clue to the inside of the card?

The papers and the Christmas tree were in a free download from Shabby Princess called Holiday Magic. I colored my images with my Copics and then cut them out. They didn't stand out enough on the stripe, so I added a the blue deckled rectangle(sort of looks like a rug) and the two scalloped circles in the back. If I were an artist, I'd have made a fireplace. I used foam mounting to raise my images. Inside was still a bit blah and needed something. The Christmas light border was a free svg file from 4 Shared Free download(I'd love to give credit to the designer of the file). I again used MTC to resize it and then cut with my Cricut. I cut the lights out of white card stock and colored with copics, adding some white highlights and then covering with Glaze. I love the way they turned out. Sentiment was the last thing added, and it is one of the downloads from Create with TLC's Holiday Package.

Challenges Entered

http://phindysplacechallenge.blogspot.comPhindy's Place Challenge Blog - Christmas in August

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Make a Card for Christmas

Weekly Christmas Card Challenge

Totally Gorjuss - Christmas in August

Thank you for stopping by and don't forget I love hearing from you.

School is Cool!

This week at the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog, the challenge was to create a Back to School card. Christy has some wonderful images just perfect for this challenge at the Tiddly Inks store, along with some more fabulous images. She also gifted us last week with a blackboard background paper that came in really handy for this challenge. The image I used is called Schoolgirl, and she's colored with Copics.

The other paper is from Caroline Creations Adorn It, School Academy Collections and is called Girl Academy.

Today I decided to try something I'd never tried before, a tri-fold shutter card. This challenge seemed to call for it. It was a whole lot simpler than I thought, and I really had fun with this one. I found an excellent tutorial at The Craftblog.

The real challenge is to fill all the parts of the card up so there's "flow", and yet not make the card too busy. Thanks to the MTC software and my Cricut, I was able to successfully do that, I think. The apple cut file was a part of the MTC gallery. I used the basic shapes of MTC to make and cut my chalkboard, and then hand wrote the sentiment with a white pen.

One of the neatest things about MTC is that you don't have to cut what you create. You can just print it to your printer. This really comes in handy when what you're cutting is really small and the Cricut just doesn't want to cooperate. I found the freebie for the stack of books with the apple at Christy's Everyday Little Things blog. I used this printing technique to print the file to card stock and then hand cut it. I finished up by adding a deckled rectangle to the back panel and faux stitched around it. It's just perfect for writing that note of encouragement to that schoolgirl.

My card is going to be sent to my cousin's daughter, who is starting her freshman year of college at Auburn. Surely she's not really almost 19 years old and a college freshman. Wasn't it just yesterday when she told me, I was her "other" mother? Well she still feels like my daughter so I'm missing her and want to let her know how proud I am of her.

I appreciate your stopping by and would love to hear from you.

Did Someone Say Polka Dots

I have always loved polka dots, so I was a really happy camper this week when Judy chose Polka Dots for the challenge this week on Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog. The Sassy Cheryl store has an almost unlimited supply of images to choose from. The problem will be narrowing it down to one image. I decided that "Cry Baby" needed to shine this week. I colored her with my Copics, cut her out with my Spellbinders and then sponged some pink ink around the image.

My papers are printed off the Color Me Happy CD put out by Funky Hand. What an awesome CD it is with 20 different patterned papers in 12 different color schemes. This one is called Blissful Baby.

The flowers I made a couple of weeks ago using my MS hydrangea punch with some Flower Soft for the centers. I finished my card off with a ribbon sentiment. Doesn't she look like a "Drama" Queen to you.

Thanks for stopping by, and I love hearing from you.

Ride 'Em Cowboy

MonkeyMoo is all about cowboys Last year for his birthday, he needed cowboy boots, a rope and a buckle. This year I'm making all of his birthday week cards with a cowboy theme.

This week's Phindy's Place Challenge was to create a card for a baby or a small child. Since MM will be 4, and Phindy just happened to create this precious Summer Cutie called GiddyUp, how could I not play along. Be sure to check out the Phindy's Place Store as she's recently added some of the most adorable Halloween cuties you've ever seen.

I printed the gingham from a freebie I got from Bev Rochester's blog (thank you Anne for the link), The rest of the cardstock is some I had in my scrap box. I folded the gingham to look like that bandana around my cowboy's neck. The cowboy boot was a free svg file from Svgcuts.com blog. I used my MTC software and my Cricut to cut the boot out. I made the belt by embossing a strip of brown card stock and adding some "stitching". I cut a piece of silvered card stock with my scalloped ovals nestabilities to make the shiny buckle, and then cut my image to fit inside. The image is of course colored with Copics. I used Word to create my sentiment( I was running out of time as I have presentation to work on also).

Do you think my little cowboy is going to like this card? I do. Thanks for stopping by.

BOO!

I've been working on a box of OWH cards for over a month. I got several general cards done and one set of Halloween cards. I try to mail a box of cards every month and this month is fast running out on me. Today I decided that rather than work on the challenge cards I had planned on, I would make some OWH Halloween cards so that I can get my box mailed out tomorrow.

This first card is one I did several weeks ago. I found some pumpkin and ghost clip arts and using the MTC software, I created the cut files for the pumkins and ghosts. The bat is from Brittany's Svg File. I hate that she's no longer creating files, but she has some really great ones. I used the MTC software again to weld the word Boo to the bat and then shadow it. The background paper is from The Paper Studio.

When I was at Hobby Lobby a couple of weeks ago, I found some great felt Halloween embellies. I decided they would be wonderful for quick Halloween cards. I used the ghosts, pumpkins and Boo from the felt to create this second card. The DP is from The Paper Studio.I got to use my Martha Stewart Dripping Goo punch on this one.

For my third card, I again used the felt embellies, but went for a little more detail. The top DP is the same as in card 1, but the polka dot paper(which I personally love) is from Create with TLC's Holiday club offering that I printed. I used the Large and Small Labels from Spellbinders for the background frame for the cat. I embossed the orange with my D'vine Swirls embossing folder. I cannot remember where I found the ribbon, but I've just been waiting for a chance to use it. The bats are the made from the same bat from above. I just welded 3 together to make a border.

My fourth Halloween card couldn't have been simpler. My star background paper is from The Paper Wizard. I simply added the Happy Halloween ribbon, cut a bright yellow circle and added the felt witch.

I made 8 of each card so there are 32 Halloween cards going out tomorrow along with another 37 cards of various sentiments and 24 Any Hero letters that were written by the residents at the Trinity Assisted Living Facility when I did the craft time for them this summer during their Vacation Bible School.

Thanks for stopping by.

Oh Baby!

Oh Baby is right, and just in time. The challenge this week at the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog was to create a card for a baby or a small child. How opportune for me, as tomorrow I'm giving a Baby Shower Luncheon for my niece, and I needed to make a card to go with my gift.

This sweet image is called Counting Sheep, and I absolutely love it. Of course there are many more at Phindy's Store that are just as suitable for a baby card, and don't get me started on the Summer Cuties that would be perfect for a child's card(in fact I hope to get a birthday card done for MM later in the week). Just go check them all out here. I colored with Copics and added some polka dots to the sleeper. The papers and cardstock are from The Paper Studio. I started out following a sketch I found on Mojo Monday, but I quickly got sidetracked. After I tied the bow, I decided that I didn't want to wrap it around the card, and decided to try letting it "flow". The sentiment is from Bethany's Elegant Word Art and so perfect for this occasion.

Sure hope you'll all come and join us in the challenge. Thanks for stopping by.

Pretty In Pink

Well, this has been a good week for me. I got to use lots of pink, and you all know I LOVE PINK. Imagine my delight when the challenge at Phindy's Place Challenge Blog was to use a card using pink. Could you see me dancing the happy dance? Only one problem, out of all those wonderful images at the Phindy's Place Store, which one to use? I finally picked this Summer Cutie called Patience for what I hope is just my first card for the challenge. I saw a sketch similar to this on a card in Cardmaker magazine and knew it would be perfect for my card.

My image is colored with Copics. The card stock and designer papers are from The Paper Studio. I used my Martha Stewart Edge punch for the outside edges and then used my Spellbinders Deckled oval to cut a hole in the DP band. The flowers were made using Martha Stewart hydrangea and branch punches. I finally used the flower soft I bought a month ago for the flower centers. I think the hardest thing about this card was finding the right sentiment. The first place I go looking for a sentiment is Create with TLC. Paulette just seems to always have the perfect sentiment for Phindy's card, and how perfect is this one for this little girl tending that lone "flower". I rubbed a little pink ink on the sentiment card to tone down the white a bit.

Through the Window

Some challenges are definitely more challenging than others. This week the challenge on Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog was to create a card or project with a window that you could see an image through. What made it challenging for me was that I didn't just want to cut a hole in the front of the card. I knew I wanted to use Katrina, but I needed a Gothic window for my purpose. I headed over to the Tiddly Inks Store, and lo and behold Christy had added a Gothic window that was perfect. It even had a little scene in the window opening. I took a program called Snag It and captured just the scene. I brought that image into Photoshop Elements and duplicated and added the second to the first to make a forest of trees.

I used a white cardstock for my base and cut the hole for window. Next step was to print the image, and then flip it and print it again (for the inside and the outside of the card)on some great mingled gray paper I had in my stash stack. I then printed the image again on two different shades of textured gray cardstock. I then very slowly and laboriously cut out each of the "stones" and glued them to the inside and outside of the card. It was sort of like laying stones.

Once that was done, the next step was to get out my copics and start coloring. The scene is the one I made with PSE. My heroine is the beautiful Katrina and the butterflies are actually part of a set of three called FlutterFlies and were another find in the store. I think I got my cutting certificate today with all the cutting out of small shapes that I did. My last and almost biggest challenge was to come up with a sentiment for this card. I knew it needed something to do with fairy tales. I went to my first sentiment source, Create with TLC, and found not one but two sentiments that worked perfectly.

Glad you stopped by. Since I kept this card to the standard size for OWH, it's going in my box. I hope some little girl gets this card from her dad. Can't you imagine how special she'll feel?

Color Combination II

You don't give me a challenge using my favorite colors and not expect multiples, so look out Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog. It turns out that the day before Sharon's birthday is Mary Evalyn's, and I really did need a second birthday card. Now to appreciate me using this image, appropriately called Dressed Up, you have to know that Mary Evalyn's parent's owned a clothing store in my hometown called Antoon's. Mary Evalyn was always stylishly dressed and for that matter still is. If you saw her you'd know that the sentiment is so true about her, she truly does look great, and 60 REALLY does look good on her.

I colored the image with my Copics. You can't see from the picture, but I colored her boa with my white glaze pen to make it shine. The zebra print paper was a free printable paper from ScrapbookScrapbook.com. I had the cardstock on hand and I used the MS Teardrop Around the edge punch to punch 3 sides. I also embossed a piece of white cardstock with my Cuttlebug D'vine Swirl folder, and then inked with my Tuxedo black ink pad. I used the pearls to "class" up the card, since Mary Evalyn is a truly classy lady. The sentiment is my own and created in PSE. I finished the card off with some sheer black ribbon tied off with some hot pink grosgrain.

With the great color combination and this cutie with her "sassy" attitude, I'm really liking the way this card turned out.

One of My Favorite Color Combinations

The challenge this week at Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog is to use the color combination of black, white and pink with embellishments. It just so happens those are colors that I ABSOLUTELY love together, so the problem was to hold myself back. This is the year that most of my High School classmates and myself turn 60. I have a close group of friends from my class, and I want to remember each of them with a Special Birthday Card to mark this momentous occasion. My first card is for my friend, Sharon, who took up golf when she got married about 8 years ago.

Girl Golfer was the perfect image for her and for this card challenge(thank you Jennifer for encouraging me). I of course colored her with my Copics. I need more pinks. Of course, she's not the only great image for this challenge. There are tons of them at Sassy Cheryl's Store. The gingham paper I printed from my new Colour Me Happy CD from Funky Hand/Papercraft Factory(Thank you Lou for putting me onto this site). The other DP papers are from The Paper Studio.

I found this great sketch over on the Truly Scrumptious Challenge Blog and knew it was perfect for this card. I used my MS Edge punch to create the strip instead of ribbon. The flowers are Flora Doodles. I created the WordArt in PSE and used my Cricut and the MTC to make and cut the tee for my 60 golf ball. I also ran the 60 circle through my Cuttlebug with the Swiss dots, using the debossed side for those dimples in the ball.

I think Sharon is going to be pretty excited to get this card, and will know I think she's pretty special. Thanks to the DT for a challenge I had so much fun with that I did two cards. Second card will follow in a separate post.

Another Birthday Card

This is actually the first card I made for the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog's Happy Birthday Challenge, even though it's the second one I posted. This precious sweetie is called Belle of the Ball, and if you're a girl and celebrating your birthday, you should indeed be the "Belle of the Ball", don't you think? The sketch is from Mojo Monday's. I colored her with Copics. Paper is from my huge supply, and I have no idea who made it. Who knew I would one day have a blog and need to know that information. I used my MS Layered Arches edge punch and cut the image out with my Spellbinders Large and Small Labels die. The sentiment is a rubbah stamp, I've had for a while. I embossed the sentiment and I also embossed her shoes, so they would look like black patent leather Mary Janes(do you remember them). I decided the card needed a little something else, so added the pearls. I think it worked. What do you think?

It's the BIG Birthday!

This is the year that most of my high school classmates and I turn 60. Two years ago, my class celebrated our 40th Class Reunion, and much to every one's amazement, we ALL had a great time. I connected with classmates while working on the reunion that weren't good friends during high school. Today I count them as some of my dearest friends. In the last year of my Mother's life, when I was spending a portion of every week, helping with her care, these friends helped to keep me sane. We started meeting for lunch every couple of weeks. Since my Mom passed away, we try to get together once a month. Tomorrow is one of our lunches and I'll be driving to Jackson, for the sole purpose of having lunch with dear friends. The fellowship is worth the long drive.

So what does this have to do with a card challenge you ask? Well, the first of the group to celebrate her 60th birthday is getting a card I made for the Phindy's Place Birthday Challenge this week. What better image to use than Mrs. Comfy Celebrates. Phindy has some more really cute images of Mrs. Comfy that fit right in for us older women. Check them out here. I colored her with Copics, but went nuts with the Stickles. Jana isn't your usual glitter person, so I know she'll get a chuckle out of this image. Papers were out of my scrap stash. I created the Sentiment in Photoshop. I love the glitz and hope she will too. Found the ribbon in my ribbon rack, and isn't it perfect with the Stickles?

This one was so much fun, and I can't wait to give it to Jana tomorrow.

Trying Something New

Well Cathy threw me for a loop this week on the Sassy Cheryl Challenge Blog. She was in charge of the challenge and her challenge was to create an altered notebook. This is something totally new for me, but I decided it was worth giving it a go. I use the small legal pads all the time for my lists, so I decided that that was what I would alter.

I had this gorgeous piece of Scrapbook paper(I have no idea who made it, but it came from a pad). One side was this gorgeous muted stripe and the reverse side was a vintage looking floral print. I had no clue what image I was going to use, but knew I had to use this paper. I cut two strips and scored them so that the tablet is completely covered. I used the Martha Stewart Garland Around the Page punch and edge to make a strip to go at the top of the pad and extend past to hold the front cover in place. I tied a piece of burgundy sheer ribbon and made a ruffle around it to finish off the top.

I saw a technique somewhere in my blurfing that showed how to take a straight edged punch and basically clip to make it curve(very much like you make a seam curve smooth in sewing). I had a narrow strip still left of the paper, so I took a dinner plate to get the maximum arch(so I could use the floral side) I could and then "curved" a piece of the green paper that I edged punched around the floral arch.

Now it was time to decide which image I was going to use. I knew that with all the images Sassy Cheryl has at her store( a good portion of which are in a folder on my computer), an image wasn't really going to be a issue. This image is called called Ragtime Gals and doesn't she look like she's pondering exactly what she should be putting on a list? I colored her with Copics, and I think she turned out rather well. Finally I used a Spellbinders die to cut the image out and a rectangle of the green. I decided the rectangles needed to be set at an angle and opposite each other.

Since I plan on really using this notebook and will be flipping the cover back under the back to write on, I didn't add any 3 dimensional embellishments to the front. I'm going so so enjoy using this.

Thanks for stopping by and please be sure to come back. I love hearing from you.

Fit For a Princess

Don't we all think at some time or another we're princesses(except those time when we KNOW we're the Queen). The Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog gave us two weeks to create a project with the theme "Fit for a Princess".


I found this great sketch over on the Sketch Saturday Challenge Blog to use for my Princess Card. Christy has lots of great Princess images over at the Tiddly Inks Store(check it out and see all the great images she has). This image is called Key to My Heart. Isn't she gorgeous? I colored her with Copics, and I love the way her hair turned out. Thank you Lysa, for the wonderful tutorial. The papers are Best Occasions and were purchased in a pack at Tuesday Morning for a fantastic price.I love punches and between the clearance on Martha Stewart around the page punches at Michaels, and the clearance aisle at Walmart, I have acquired some great punches. I used the rain drop Around the Age punches on the purple polka dot paper and the Martha Stewart crown punch for the crown. I punched the crown out of a glittered butterfly from a scrap of paper and then added the rhinestones. I added the heart embellie, some sheer ribbon, and cut out a key shape with my Cricut and hand printed the sentiment.

I had so much fun making this card even while trying to keep my grandson entertained.

Super Heroes

As you all know we're on week number 2 of our grandson's visit. As he tells anyone that asks his age, he's still free. All of a sudden he's into super heroes, and all of his underwear reflect this. Just ask him and he'll show you.

I've been making super capes for several years for friends and family members children and grandchildren, and this week decided it was time to make MonkeyMoo his very own. I had cut one out for him and had it ready to sew up, but he's grown too big for it, so I had to enlarge my pattern. I want to emphasize to him that he be himself, so instead of the Superman or Batman Logo, I used my Cricut to cut an S and A for Super Alex. I appliqued and then lined it so there are no exposed edges. I used Velcro as a fastener, so that he can fasten it around his neck himself, and I don't have to worry about his choking if it gets caught in something.

Today he said he needed a mask, so right before lunch we went out to TM, and I used some scraps and quickly cut out a mask shape with holes. I've got to do a better one, but it works for now. For some reason he decided the whole outfit needed the Cabella's hat(don't call it a baseball cap, whatever you do). I think he's making a fashion statement with those cowboy boots, don't you?

Clean and Simple

That's the challenge this week on the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog, and may I just say they were music to my ears. I still have the 3 1/2 year old grandson here and on Sunday, we went to Birmingham and picked up our oldest daughter and our 16 year old grandaughter for a visit. It's hard to find crafting time with so many people here, and one of them needing constant supervision. However, I am enjoying their visit and life through the eyes of a 3 1/2 year old is so much fun.

Life doesn't get much simpler than sitting on a creek bank watching a cork bob waiting for a fish to bite, so this Summer Cutie called Catch Anything had to be my image. Isn't he the cutest thing with that big straw hat? Be sure to check him and the other selection of Summer Cuties at the Phindy's Place Store. I colored him with my Copics and cut the image out with my Spellbinders. The background paper was a scrap I had from the October Afternoon Spring Collection. I absolutely love this paper. The sentiment was one I created myself in Word Art, and I free handed cut the fish out around the sentiment.

Glad you stopped by and don't forget, I love hearing from you.

Thinking of You

This weeks challenge at Sassy Cheryl's Challenge blog was two fold. The first part was to create a Thinking of You card, which I have to say was the easier part of the challenge. The second part was to decide if Cheryl really knows her Design Team like she thinks she does. Cheryl had to take the DT Cards and decide who created them. Our part of the challenge was to say if we thought she was right or not. I had a third challenge, and that was to create a card while entertaining my 3 year old grandson, MonkeyMoo.

My DH took MM(MonkeyMoo) to look for deer in the truck to give me some crafting time alone. I got the card part done using a Sketch from this week's Sketch Saturday Challenge. Papers are from The Paper Studio. This cute little boy hugging his teddy bear is called Love's Healing Hands, and you can find him and many more wonderful images at Sassy Cheryl's Store. Doesn't he look like he's hugging that bear because he's missing someone? I can't help but hope that MonkeyMoo doesn't get to missing his parents so much, that he's got his stuffed monkey John squeezed up this tight. He's still got a week left on his visit. The sentiment was saved in my computer as MM Designs, but for the life of me, I can't find a link to the site. At any rate it was the perfect sentiment.

As for whether Cheryl is right or not, I'm going to have to vote yes. I wish I had time to print them all off to study them, but not only do I have a 3 year old to entertain, but I also have my older daughter and my 16 year old grandaughter flying in today to spend the week. I'm just thankful I found time to be creative and play in the challenge.

Thanks for stopping by and I love hearing from you.