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.