SMT #60 with Sassy Cheryls

It's that time of the week again. Time to nosey around in everyones  lives to see what's going on and posting it for a chance at a free image from Sassy Cheryls. Notice I didn't say crafty space, because as we all know, some week's crafting just isn't happening. That's the case for me for the next two weeks.

My DH and I met our younger DD, her hubby and our 5 year old grandson on Saturday in Keystone, Colorado for our annual ski vacation. This week we're doing two weeks instead of 1, as MM starts kindergarten next year, and DD wants him skiing on the mountain(so far he hasn't gotten off of the bunny hill).

So here are some shots from our day on the slopes today. Captions will explain the shots.

Grandpa and MM as we're heading for the mountain this morning.

DH and I on the top of Outback Mountain. You can see the slopes of Breckenridge in the background.

Me, DH, DD, and DSIL on the top of North Peak. Independence Mountain on the Continental Divide is in the background.

This is a shot of Lake Dillon from the top of the first mountain.

 Glad you stopped by. There won't be any crafting until after Feb. 10th.

So take a shot or two of what you've got going on and post in on Sassy Cheryl's Blog for a chance of a free image. Also be sure and visit the others that have entered the challenge. You'll be in for a treat.

Blues and Browns at Sassy Cheryls

Sassy Jeni picked the challenge this week on the Sassy Cheryls Challenge Blog, and it is to create a project using blues and browns. What a fabulous combination.

I have a young WW member who lost her mother a week ago to pancreatic cancer. She was only diagnosed the week before Thanksgiving.  My member is the most remarkable young person, and has a faith that is to be admired and embraced. I want to send her a card to let her know that she and her family are in my prayers, and what better image to use than this  image from the Sassy Cheryls Digi Store called Praying For You. I've colored her Copics.

The papers I've used are from a digital kit, appropriately named Serenity from Just So Scrappy Too, and met the blue and brown challenge to a T. The sketch is from this week's Inspirational Card Challenge. I fell in love with it and love the way this card turned out. 


I want to share my members remarkable faith by sharing with you words that she wrote on the Caring Bridge Site after her Mom passed.

"I am reminded of a verse from Psalm 30 - my grandma actually read it yesterday afternoon at Mom's bedside - "Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning." What a mighty God we serve Who NEVER breaks His promises! We are in mourning, but Mom is IN her morning. Praise the Lord."

No Squares or Rectangles Please

What a fun challenge the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog has going this week. Just create a shaped card that isn't a square or a rectangle. I've had NO difficulty with this challenge.

For this card, I used my Make the Cut Software and my Black Cat Cougar along with a Lettering Delights cutting file called Card B. This cutting file has several different shaped cards. There are several reasons why I love the Make the Cut software.  One is that I don't have to cut using a pair of scissors. The second reason is that you're able to create shadows of a file either exterior or interior, and from that you can cut a smaller inset. I used this smaller inset to also cut out my image and shadow it.

The image I used is from the Phindy's Place Store, of course. She's another of the cuties, and she's called Special Day. This is one of my favorite images. I know, I say that about all of them, but it's true none the less. I've colored her with my Copics.

The papers are again digital and from a kit by Just So Scrappy Too called Have Tea With Me. I love digital papers because I always have coordinating papers and like digital images, I can make them smaller either because I need a smaller image or I don't want to waste paper.

Well I've maxed out the number of entries I can post this week, and I have to say it was a fun challenge for me. I had to get as many as I could done, since we leave for Colorado for two weeks on Saturday, and I'm going to be in crafting withdrawal. I needed to overdose while I can. Thanks for stopping by.

SMT 59 at Sassy Cheryl's

Every week, it's a "I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours." Now get your minds out of the gutter. What you're showing is what you're working on or how your crafty space is looking. Sassy Cheryl shares what she's working on or her space. For reciprocating with pictures of your life, you're in the running for a free Sassy Cheryls image. There's no way you can lose, because I promise you're going to see beautiful cards, creations and places(oh and sometimes you see messes). Just post a link to a picture at the Sassy Cheryls Blog.

I've been working on cards, but what I wanted to share with you today is what I was working on today. Before MM was born, I made 4 small blankets that were exactly alike. They were 20" x 24" and just big enough to cover him in the car seat when he was small, and small enough when he got bigger to take it with him and not drag it on the floor. The reason for 4 was so that my DD could make sure there was always a clean one on hand. At any rate, a friend of mine wanted some help to make some of these for her soon to be born grandson, She came out today for some instructions.

 

 

 

For a PDF tutorial with instructions and pictures please find it HERE.

Here's the first one with the bias binding ready to be sewn to the blanket. The trick I figured out how to do, is sew the binding with mitered corners and then insert the main part of the blanket inside the binding square.

Then late this afternoon, I was washing dishes as I was cooking supper, I looked out the window to this shot of our sunset today. We've had gray, gloomy weather for days, and today was a gorgeous sunshiny day. This was the perfect end to it.

Go Fly a Kite

It's a shaped card challenge this week on the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog. Any shape for your card base except a rectangle or a square that is. The DT is off to great start with fun and different challenges this year.

When I found the The Frugal Crafter site with the instructions for the beach pail card, I also found a blog post where she had made a kite card. The instructions for it came from Qbee's Quest. I added some length and some width to mine, but I kept the 2 1/2" from the center fold.

Again, it was seeing the card and in an instant knew the perfect image for the card. This cutie from the Phindy's Place Store is called High Hopes. Isn't he just the cutest thing all bundled up in his jacket and hoodie? I've colored him with Copics.

As usual the papers are digital that I printed on my HP large format printer. I wouldn't have been able to make the card as big if it weren't for the fact that I could print 11 x 17 cardstock. I was also able to print on both sides for the inside and outside of the card. This kit is called Denim and Daisies and is from Just So Scrappy Too. I just used Word to print the sentiment.  Here's the inside of the card.

I'm liking this shaped challenge and even have a third card done. Thanks for stopping by.

Shape It Up

The challenge this week on the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog it to create a shaped card that is not a rectangle or a square. Oh for the possibilities. I have some shaped card files in my SVG folders, but decided I do a Google of shaped cards. I happened upon the The Frugal Crafter's blog and found a free template for a beach pail.

Needless to say, when I saw the pail, the image from the Phindy's Place Store that popped into my mind immediately was Summer Bare. I've colored her with Copics.

I used my Black Cat Cougar to cut the card, handle and scoop. The papers are digital and from two kits Aloha and Pool Party by Just so Scrappy Too. I used my MTC software to create the Word Art .

This was a fun card to do, and while I was over on the The Frugal Crafter site, I found another great shaped card. Off to work on a second card.

Chase Away the Grays

With the dreary weather we've had this week in Mississippi and especially today, making something Bright and Cheery to Chase Away the Grays, is the perfect challenge  for me. It's the challenge by Sassy Dawn this week on the Sassy Cheryls Challenge Blog.

Sassy Cheryl recently created this adorable image called You Are My Sunshine, and how perfect it she for this challenge? She's colored with my Copics. Cheryl has recently added some great Valentine images, just in time for Cupid, so be sure to check out the Sassy Cheryl Digi Store. The sentiment comes with the image.

These papers are from a digital kit from Just So Scrappy Too called Pool Party. It certainly doesn't get any brighter or cheerier than a summer pool party. Don't you love the thought of needing sunglasses?

I'm so glad you stopped by and here's hoping you have some bright sunny skies in today or in the near future.

A Tiddly Inks Color Challenge

The challenge on the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog for the next two weeks is a color challenge. Here are the colors that we were challenged to use.

If you've been to the Tiddly Inks Store, you've missed out on her latest little character. Her name is Wryn, and she's utterly delightful and so much fun to color. For my challenge, I've chosen this Wryn called Wrynn-New Nest. She's colored with Copics.

I CASED this card from The Sweetest Thing Blog. The papers are from a digital kit from Just So Scrappy Too, appropriately enough called Tweet Tweet. The Bird and limb were SVGs from a freebie by Shery K Designs and the nest  was created with my Martha Stewart branch punch.

I created two sentiments in Photoshop. Either is perfect for the image. Please feel free to grab them if you'd like.

Tic Tac Toe Times Two with A Valentinte

I love the Phindy's Place Challenge this week's Tic Tac Toe Challenge.  All you have to do is use three elements either in a row, a column or on a diagonal. Here's my choice of Tic Tac Toe for this challenge.

This image is also one of Phindy's newer images and is called Love Message. Isn't she adorable? You REALLY need to check out the Phindy's Place Store for all the fantastic images you can find there. She's colored with Copics. I used the following as my sketch base from Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge.

These papers are also ones that I got from Just So Scrappy Too. These papers are from the I Toadily Love You kit. This is one fantastic set of papers. I used the Block Hearts Embossing folder. The hearts were punched with my Martha Stewart Heart punch and embossed with Tiny Stars or the Swiss Dotted embossing folders.

Tic Tac Toe and Aloha

There's the best challenge going this week on the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog. It's a  Tic Tac Toe Challenge. You just have to make a card using three elements either in a row, a column or a diagonal. Below is the my choice of 3 for my entry.

The image I've chosen is one of Phindy's newest and is called Hula into Your Heart. If you're like me and you visit Phindy's Place Store, I promise she'll just jump into your shopping cart along with some of her other friends. I've colored he with Copics.

The papers are some I just bought on a great sale at Just So Scrappy Too. The kit is called Aloha and is perfect for this image. I'm loving this card and this little cutie. I hand cut the fringe to make it look like her grass skirt.

Show Me #58 At Sassy Cheryl's Blog

Well, I missed the last two challenges and shame on me. Jeez, Louise, I mean  all you have to do is post a picture of what you have going on in order to have a chance of winning a free image. I guess I had too much going on to stop and take a picture. From the pictures below, you'll understand what I mean. This is my desk last Thursday afternoon, and it truly looked like a bomb went off. I was trying to get a last minute card in a challenge and then head out the door to my WW meeting. I was also busy creating a gimme for my members to try to encourage them and keep them on track. So here's TM in full disaster mode along with the refrigerator magnet Subway Art that I created as a "Happy" to my members.

You will be happy to know that since these disaster pics were made I have not only cleaned my house, but also cleaned up in TM(not that you'd know, since I've messed it up again, although not as badly as these pictures. I'm trying to do a bit of reorganizing and shifting of stuff, to make room for the Big Shot Pro I ordered at the encouragement of some of my friends.

If anyone is interested in the Subway Art, feel free to grab it below. I printed it at 4 x 6 and laminated it and added a strip magnet to the back.

Let's Celebrate

The first challenge of the New Year over on the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog was to create a project that pertained to celebrating. I know it's a New Year, but any celebrating I did for that is over and done with. I have a wonderful friend, who taught me the real meaning of Celebrating your birthday. Instead of celebrating for a day, she says you should celebrate at least for a week. So we celebrate Birthday Week now. And if you're really wise, you'll celebrate each and every day of the year ahead.

This image from the Tiddly Inks Store is called By Royal Decree. I think she's spreading the words that Birthdays are more than a day's event. She's colored with Copics with some addition of Spicas to glitz it up a bit.

The papers are from a digital kit caloled Party Time from Shery K Designs. She has some fantastic paper kits that are very reasonably priced, plus if you're also into svg files, she's forever giving free svg packs. Be sure to check out her store.

Snow with a Sketch

I always tell me people that the only place I want to see snow is on a mountain in Colorado in February, when we head out for our annual winter vacation.  That's not entirely true. I am not averse to seeing it on a card. This week, Sassy Dawn threw out a Snow Challenge with the twist of a sketch on the Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog.

For my challenge card, I chose this delightful image from the Sassy Cheryls Digi Store called  Catching A Snowflake. I've done this and quite honestly, I'm betting you all have too. It was fun wasn't it? Now come on  fess up, you know you enjoyed it. I've colored her with Copics.

The papers are digital from a kit called BRRRRR from Just So Scrappy Too. She had a tremendous sale in December and I grabbed a bunch of great kits. I love printing papers from a kit of coordinating papers, since it also allows me to change the size, to make it work with my card without too much leftover. I created the Snowflake Die cut with MTC software and cut it with my Black Cat. The snowflakes and stars are a Cuttlebug Die.

Now you have until 5 p.m. EST on Monday the 16th to get a card entered in the challenge. You don't even have to use a Sassy Cheryl's image(although for the life of me I can't imagine why you wouldn't want to use one), but if you do you get two chances to win.

A Second Color Challenge Card for Phindy's Place

Yesterday when I was working on my first Color Challenge card for the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog, I was so successful that I immediately began on my second one. You're going to see a repeat of one of some of the papers(after all I need to be using the scraps, right).

This is image is entitled Patience, and she's so sweet squatting there after tenderly nursing the plant and waiting for it to perk up and BLOOM. She's another of the Phindy's Place Summer Cuties and can be purchased at the Phindy's Place Store.

The solids and floral papers are from the Summer Driggs Happy Mother's Day Kit and the brown gingham is from The Paper Studio. The corners are a Quikutz die that I got on the clearance aisle at Hobby Lobby a couple of weeks ago, and the die cut was a free svg from My Time To Craft, that I cut with my Black Cat. Can I tell you how much I love this machine?

Well that'll be all the entries I have time for this week, but I'm looking forward to next week's challenge, so stay tuned.

Phindy's Place with a Color Quartet

For the first challenge of 2012, the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog has issued a Color Challenge using the following Color Quartet.

This image is called Love Flutterfly and is one of Phindy's Summer Cuties. Isn't she adorable? You can find her along with a cart full of delightful images at the Phindy's Place Store. Please check them out. I promise you won't be disappointed.

I had to do some searching to find papers that I liked, that I thought worked for the challenge, as well as for me. The papers are from Summer Drigg's Happy Mother's Day Kit., and the sketch is from last week's Tuesday Morning Sketches.

New Beginnings at Sassy Cheryl's

Sassy Ann has set the challenge over on the Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog this week for New Beginnings. The DT did a fabulous job with their creations, so it was a challenge for me to come not to copy something they had done. It's a great challenge after all since this is the beginning of a brand new year. Sometimes I think the older we get the harder it is to see the NEW in things. All it takes is to watch the world through the eyes of a child. Seeing their eyes light up at something as simple as a butterfly in flight or a bubble drifting in the breeze, makes even the most hardened of individuals take a new perspective on the joy in the simple fact that we're alive and one of God's Glorious Creations.

With that in mind, I chose this sweet image called Nature Lover from the Sassy Cheryls Digi Store. I know that my grandson MonkeyMoo thinks it's pretty cool to investigate nature, and with a magnifying glass you get a whole different view of the world. She's colored with Copics. I can tell it's been awhile since I colored, as I struggled with the coloring of this one.

The papers are from my scrap box. I really am trying to get rid of some of the scraps. The sentiment was whipped up in Photoshop, but could just have easily been done in Word. I'm posting it at the bottom in case any one would like to grab it. Just right click on it and save it.

Thanks for stopping by. I better hurry if I want to beat the deadline for entries.

Using More Scraps for Phindy's Place

I want to personally thank the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog DT for the extra week on the challenge. With all I had going on during the past two weeks, this was a great break for me.

I actually got this card made earlier in the week. This adorable image is called Bedtime Story. I can tell that this little character really gets into her books and bedtime stories, and that her imagination is in overdrive. She's one of Phindy's cuties and can be purchased at the Phindy's Place Store. She's colored with Copics.

The papers are of course out of my scrapbox, and another reason I'm thankful to the DT. I have too many scraps, and this challenge forced me to use them. The sentiment is something I created a while back. Like this sweetie, I love my books  and the chance to let my imagination soar.

Snowman with a Die Cut

Well it seems like forever since I created a card or posted a blog, but it's time to get back to it. The Sassy Cheryls Challenge Blog DT had a two week challenge to create a project with a snowman and a die cut. It hasn't felt like snow men here lately, but there's talk we're going to be getting some cold temps over the next 48 hours.

For this card I chose this adorable image called The Love Struck Snowman from the Sassy Cheryls Digi Store. Doesn't he look as timid as Gomer Pyle or Goober and can't you almost hear him say, Aw Shucks or Shazam? I've colored him with my Copics. He and the backgrounds are cut using the Deckled Long Rectangle Die Cut from Spellbinders.

The paper is cardstock and the ribbons are some I purchased somewhere along the line. The sketch is this week's sketch for Tuesday Morning Sketches, so guess I'll be entering that challenge too.

Now I better get back to baking fruitcake cookies for my DH and a hunting buddy of his.