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.

Scraps for a Phindy's Place Challenge

Here it is the end of the year and the DT over at Phindy's Place Challenge Blog must be like the rest of us and have lots of scraps they're wanting to use and not just toss. The sad part about this challenge for me, is that with so much going on here with DD and her family visiting and getting ready for my Open House, I only had time for one challenge and am barely getting it blogged in time.

This sweet image from the Winter Cuties collection from the Phindy's Place Store is called Hot Cocoa. I've colored her with Copics.

This paper layout  has the effect of bargello that you see in needlepoint where the patterns repeat, but with a dropped down effect. The paper is all from my scrap box.  I didn't have time to create a sentiment or find one, so this card can go however it's needed.

SMT #55 at Sassy Cheryls

Here it is Tuesday night, and I'm about to miss out on one of my favorite challenges, Show Me Thursday on Sassy Cheryls Blog. Just for posting what you have going on in your life each week and entering it in the Sassy Cheryl's blog, you might win a free Sassy Cheryls image. Just so you know there's another good side to this. You get a chance to nosey around in other people's spaces and therefore, get to know some really talented people and not just in crafting.

This week's SMT for me is all about getting ready for the Swoope Christmas Open House. This is the 27th year my DH and I have hosted his family for Christmas night. It's a lot of work, but it's also a lot of fun. I had my Christmas tree decorated two weeks ago, but the rest of the decorations have been sitting in boxes waiting for my BFF to come over and do her thing. In past years, her DD would do it for me, but she's moved out of town. Well it was worth the wait and in the meantime, I finally started doing some cooking for the party. So here are pictures of what I've been doing all week.

The top picture is fruitcake cookies. These are my DH's favorite cookie and the only cookie that doesn't scream my name. Too bad I can't fix only fruitcake cookies, then I wouldn't have to worry about overeating the wrong thing. The second picture is fudge I made with JDK or Judy's recipe. This one not only screamed my name but jumps up and down and waves at me. First thing this morning after cutting it and getting it in the can, I took it, along with one can of fruitcake cookies(recipe makes like 10 dozen), biscotti and pecan brittle down to the camphouse. At least 3 miles from home, they're not screaming quite as loudly and I can't see them jumping up and down and waving.

I'm a fairly decent cook and I can craft most anything, but decorating is not my forte, so this afternoon, my BFF came over to decorate for me. She didn't make it until about 4:45, but by 6 she was through and my house looks great. One of the things that I wanted her to do was to use antlers from deer my DH has killed through the years(man doesn't get rid of any of them and he's been hunting a LONNNNNNGGGGG time) These are the antlers before and after the transformation.

This picture is of the counted cross-stitched Christmas pieces framed and hung over the sofa. The coffee table has my Fontanini natitivy set. This is the one thing MM has been waiting for me to get set up. If you're looking for the perfect gift that you can continue through the years for a child, may I suggest the 5" Fontanini nativity. The pieces are made in Italy of a resin polymer and hand painted. They don't break and yet they are utterly beautiful. You can add a piece each year.

This is my foyer. The mantle is free standing and not surrounding a fireplace. The mantle was in the parlor in the house where my DH was raised. Before the house fell down, they had a drawing for the mantles and furniture in the house. My SIL actually owns the mantle, but when she moved from Columbus, she took it out of that house, and so far hasn't asked for it back.  The framed angel is cross-stitched and hangs there all the time.

This is a picture of my dining room table and the washstand that are in there. I'll give you a better picture of the table next week, when I post pictures from the Open House with all the food in place.

In the kitchen she worked up this decoration over my kitchen sink. The ornaments are counted cross-stitch that I made many, many years ago. I still have to do the breakfast room table, but that will wait until the day of the party, since we're still eating in there. I'm glad it was dark so you can't see the cobwebs on the outside of the windows.


Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and here's your invite.

WOW at Sassy Cheryls

The challenge set by Sassy Judy over on the Sassy Cheryls Challenge Blog was to create a White on White creation. Is there anything more elegant or classically beautifully than white on white? I love it in children's clothing, so how much more fun to create it in a card.

This adorable image from the Sassy Cheryls Digi Store is called Bowlegged Cutie Stamp. She's colored with Copics, and that's all the color you get, so I made sure that she was colorful.

The wonderful thing about white on white is that by using a punch or two, a diecut, embossing folders, Pearl Shimmer Mist, a few pearls and a couple of buttons, along with a delightful and you have a card anyone would be happy to receive. I hate that the pearlescence of the Shimmer Mist doesn't show up in the pictures.

Now that I have this challenge done, I can start thinking about some baking and decorating. Someone reminded me that a week from tomorrow is Sunday, and I'm hosting an Open House. Time to change gears.

I hope that all of you have a wonderful holiday.

CAS Card 2 at Phindy's Place

I've just enough time to post my second CAS card for the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog.

Again I've gone with a Phindy's Place cutie called Cheery Chat. Please checkout all the cuties at the Phindy's Place Store. The papers are again from my scrap stash and the sketch is from Clean and Simple Stamping Blog.

And here I thought I was going to miss out on this week's challenge.