A Sweet Award

I got this sweet little award from two wonderful ladies, both Ann and Leah.  I do design work with them over at Paper Blooms.  It's very humbling to me to think that my little blogging corner of the world might touch someone.  Thanks ladies!  

Mojo Monday

Here is my card for the Mojo Monday challenge.  I saw Shawne do this with a stamp set and really wanted to give it a try.  I first stamped the images on the white paper and then used my Versamark pad to cover the whole piece of paper.  I then covered it with Heat 'n Stick powder and heated that.  When it was glossy from the heat I covered the pieces with Dazzling Diamonds glitter.  I think it gives such a great look.  

Stamps:  Beautiful Butterflies (Clear Dollar Stamps)

Ink:  Rose Red, Basic Gray, Versamark

Paper:  Bashful Blue, Basic Gray, Rose Red, Whisper White

Accessories:  Birds & Swirls embossing folder, Heat 'n Stick powder, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, white taffeta ribbon, white brads, Scallop Edge punch, oval punch, sponge, Designer Label punch, heat tool

Matti's Piano Solo

I know this isn't my traditional post, but I am one proud Mama!  This is my daughter's piano solo at church.  One of the main reasons for posting it here, was so that family and friends could check out her solo.  She accepted Christ as her Savior a few years ago, but last week asked to be baptized.  

I hope that you are all having a very blessed weekend, and thanks for checking it out!  

Clear Dollar Weekend Color Challenge

Yay, it's already the weekend again!  I never wish the days away, because I believe each day is a gift from God!  I have been feverishly doing laundry and cleaning, and teaching the kids, but did find time to take part in this weekend's Clear Dollar Stamps Weekend Color Challenge going on over at Papercraftplanet.  Monique is hostessing and she definitely came up with some challenging colors for all of us to work with.  She chose the colors, Pink Pirouette, Cameo Coral, Kiwi Kiss, and Sahara Sand, with White as an optional neutral.  I combined two stamp sets for my card.  I chose Cat-tastic, because I was just dying to ink it up.  I also chose to use the April Stamp of the Month called Silhouette Wishes, because I loved the script in this one.  I was also really excited to try using Flower Soft with the Flower Soft Wires.  The drapes are just crumpled, and I did score the 'house' to give it the look of siding.

So now that I have gotten a chance to stamp, I think my shakes will go away ;)  Now I need to clean up the mess I just made and get to the grocery store, and the dog needs a bath so I better run.  Hope everyone has an amazingly blessed weekend!

Stamps:  Cat-tastic, Silhouette Wishes April SOM (Clear Dollar Stamps)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Pink Pirouette

Paper:  Sahara Sand, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Cameo Coral, Kiwi Kiss, an itty bitty amount of Chocolate Chip

Accessories:  Copic (W-3), Flower Soft Heather, Flower Soft Wires, Aileen's Tacky glue, Labels Two Nestabilities, Ribbon Trio Nestabilities, Kiwi Kiss ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Paper Blooms Challenge #3

Good morning everyone!  The sun is shining, birds are chirping, it's a beautiful day.  It's Wednesday, so that means it's time for another Paper Blooms Challenge over at the Paper Blooms Challenge Blog!  Leah gave us a very fun challenge once again.  This week we are to come up with a card or a layout that contains the 5 'B's' which are: 

1.  bloom (doesn't have to be a Paper Bloom) 

2.  bling

3.  butterfly

4.  bit of brown

5.  a sentiment beginning with 'b'

  

Stamps:  Silhoette Wishes April SOM (Clear Dollar Stamps)

Ink:  Chocolate Chip, Pacific Point, Pumpkin Pie

Paper:  Pacific Point, Whisper White

Accessories:  handmade bloom and stick pin from Paper Blooms, Chocolate Chip courdoroy button, Curved Rectangle Nestabilities, orange ribbon, circle punch, Birds & Swirls embossing folder

Leah has a wonderful selection of blooms over at her Etsy Shop, and she even takes custom orders!  Go check them out and check out the challenge.  I had SOOO much fun creating this card!

Pink Elephant

. . .or in this case, Butterfly.  I made this card for the Pink Elephant challenge this week, but also for a friend.  I figure you can never have too many "Praying for You" cards.  My heart is going out to my best friend.  Not only is she a couple thousand miles away, but she is dealing with her 4th upcoming deployment, and her husband's father just passed away.  I have a heavy heart for them right now.  This week's Pink Elephant challenge was to a color challenge.  The colors are green, pink, and yellow.  My card is pretty simple, but now that I see it, I love it.  I used the stamp set Beautiful Butterfly from Clear Dollar Stamps that is a set of 16 that runs for only $14.99.  I coupled it with the Christian Sympathy set of 10 that runs for $9.99.  Both are so beautiful on their own or together and so very versatile.  I also got a chance to use a new Labels 4 Nestabilities that I got for my birthday, and the pearls were a birthday gift as well from a new friend.  I know. . .I am a blessed lady :D

Stamps:  Beautiful Butterfly, Christian Sympathy (Clear Dollar Stamps)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper:  Barely Banana, Kiwi Kiss, Neenah Solar White

Accessories:  Copics, Labels 4 Nestabilities, pearls, Stampin' Dimensionals, Swiss Dot embossing folder, pink ribbon

Clear Dollar Color Challenge

Hello Everyone!!  I hope you all are enjoying this glorious Easter weekend and what it means.  I am so thankful for what our Lord chose to do for you and for me.  

Over at Papercraftplanet there is another weekend color challenge going on for Clear Dollar Stamps being hostessed by Alex.  Alex chose some really fun, springy colors!  The colors are Pixie Pink, Certainly Celery, Baja Breeze, and an optional Tangerine Tango.  For some reason I had a hard time with this one.  I wanted a fairly simple card, and that is exactly what I got, but I struggled with the layout quite a lot.  I panicked a little bit when I realized that this was the last of my Pixie Pink.  I guess I need to add that to my list of what to get next :)

Stamps:  Butterfly Wings (Clear Dollar Stamps)

Ink:  Basic Gray, Pixie Pink, Certainly Celery, Baja Breeze

Paper:  Baja Breeze, Baja Breeze DSP, Pixie Pink, Certainly Celery, Whisper White

Accessories:  Certainly Celery ribbon, silver hodgepodge, Gelly Roll glitter pen

New Challenge Over at Paper Blooms

It's Wednesday, so that means that there is a new challenge over at Paper Blooms!  In honor of Easter, this week's challenge is to make a basket or box or alter a basket or box.  You don't have to have any blooms to participate, but if you'd like to buy some blooms check out Leah's Etsy Shop!  She has some super fun challenges planned each Wednesday, so come on over and check them out.  

Since I made a basket with Leah's blooms last week just for fun, I decided to make a box with some cards for this week's challenge.  This week I used the mini pizza box from Splitcoaststampers.  One of the things that I love about Leah's blooms is that some come ebellished if you want or you can get them without embellishments.  She has such a variety and you can ask for custom orders.  

Stamps:  Just Nutty (Clear Dollar Stamps), Say it With Scripture (SU)

Ink:  Almost Amethyst

Paper:  Almost Amethyst, Whisper White, Pretty in Pink DSP, Appricot Appeal DSP, Old Olive DSP

Accessories:  hand made blooms and a stick pin from Paper Blooms, Circle Rhinestone brad, Mellow Moss button, Dew Drops (CD stamps), Scallop edge, ticket punch, flower punch

My Moose Mojo

I am so totally in love with these moose from the Moose Friends set over at Clear Dollar Stamps!  I know I have used the color combination before as well, but I think it's fantastic.  I will be soooo sad when Kiwi Kiss and Pacific Point retire.  For my birthday, my husband got me a new set of Copic markers and they arrived in the mail today!!  I could not wait to crack them open and start coloring :D  That being said, this was made for the Mojo Monday blog challenge.  

Stamps:  Moose Friends (CD Stamps), Delight (Verve)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper:  Chocolate Chip, Neenah Solar White, Good Morning Sunshine DSP

Accessories:  Copics, circle punch, Scallop Circle punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, So Saffron ribbon, gold brads

CC213 Some New Stamps

I just received my order from Clear Dollar Stamps and I was soooo excited to get to use some new stuff!  I thought that Charliene would work perfectly with today's color challenge over at Splitcoaststampers.  The colors were Bashful Blue, So Saffron, and Close to Cocoa.  

Stamps:  Charliene April Showers (CD Stamps)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Whisper White, Close to Cocoa DSP, Delicate Dots DSP

Accessories:  Copics, So Saffron ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Dew Drops (from CD Stamps), Curved Rectangles Nestabilities (from CD Stamps), Stylized Flowers embossing folder

My Hubby in the Field

This picture was taken a couple of weeks back when we got to go out to the field for a family day.   I had mentioned before that I was so excited to see my husband that I totally walked out the door without my camera or my phone!  Thankfully, one of the other wives was not as brain dead as I was that morning and she remembered her camera.  Here is the pic she sent of me and the kids with my man out doing what it is he does.

It's My Birthday!

Today has been one of the best birthdays!  It's been a great day for me to reflect on just how amazing my family and friends really are!  Jim has been in the field again since yesterday, and that's not really a big deal.  A birthday is just a day, right? 

 Well, it started off that my kids surprised me with breakfast in bed.  That included some toast, a fruit roll-up and milk. . .the breakfast of champions!  Then as I was about to leave for a brunch date with my Pastor's wife (her birthday is tomorrow), 2 wonderful friends showed up at my door with tulips, cards, candy, and a photo album!  When I got to the brunch I was surprised yet again that all of my wonderful friends from church were there to surprise me.  I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't stop crying.  I just can't stop beaming about how wonderful all of my friends and family are.  It's only 1p.m. and already, it's been the best day.  

On that note, I decided to make a friend card for the Color Throwdown.  It's an ongoing joke with some of my military friends to 'get your big girl panties on and deal with it,' so I thought this was fitting.  My friends make me laugh when you just want to cry.  They make me realize that when things are put into perspective I am an incredibly blessed woman.  Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of friends whether they are here in my town or on my computer!!

Stamps:  Granny Support System (Our Craft Lounge)

Ink:  Basic Black, Pixie Pink

Paper:  Tempting Turquoise, Pixie Pink, Shimmer White

Accessories:  felt orange flower ribbon, Top Note Bigz die, Tempting Turquoise, Only Orange, and Pixie Pink markers, Stampin' Dimensionals

Clear Dollar Color Challenge Weekend

After an Easter Egg hunt at our church, then cleaning the church, I finally got the chance to make a card for this weekend's color challenge over at Papercraftplanet for Clear Dollar Stamps.  Shawne is hostessing this weekend and she chose the colors Old Olive, More Mustard, and Chocolate Chip.  I love this color combo, so here is what I came up with.

Stamps:  Charlie Daisy (Clear Dollar Stamps)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper:  Old Olive, More Mustard, Neenah Solar White, DCWV Green Stack

Accessories:  Copics, circle cutters, oval cutter, Stampin' Dimensionals, More Mustard brads

My Woven Basket

Good morning everyone!  It's still quite rainy here, and hard to get in the mood for anything cheery, but I thought I would give the woven basket a try that they were talking about yesterday over at Splitcoast.  I told you all that I was in love with Leah's Blooms, so I am wanting to put them on everything I make.  After making this basket, I knew it would be a perfect home for some of those gorgeous blooms.  It's crazy to think that I made this basket with only 1 sheet of 12 x 12 paper.  I ended up making this for my secret sister at church, and I will probably fill it with something fun for her.  Here is the tutorial for this particular basket.  

Stamps:  Delight (Verve)

Ink:  Mellow Moss

Paper:  Ivory Parchment, Pink Pirouette textured 

Accessories:  handmade blooms from Paper Blooms, Pink Pirouette button, Circle Rhinestone brad, oval cutter, sponge, brads, Mellow Moss ribbon

Head on over to the Paper Blooms challenge blog and check out the weekly challenge.  This week the challenge is a sketch and color challenge.  Leah's offering some of her blooms to one lucky participant.

A New Challenge Over at Paper Blooms!

It's April 1st, so that means that we finally get to start the challenges over at Paper Blooms.  This week's challenge was to use the colors pink, green, and cream/white along with this sketch.  You can use this sketch for a card or a layout.  

I am so excited to finally get to use my blooms.  They look beautiful on screen, but when they actually came in the mail I was beside myself thrilled.  They are just gorgeous, and so perfect.  Leah's blooms are now the first things I want to grab when embellishing something.  This is what I came up with for the first Paper Blooms challenge.

Stamps:  Joyful Day (Clear Dollar Stamps)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Kiwi Kiss

Paper:  Kiwi Kiss, Lavender Lace, Shimmery White, Kiwi Kiss DSP, Regal Rose

Accessories:  Pink Bloom & Stick Pin, blender pen, Copics, oval punch

Go check out the rest of the teams creations.

Jacque

Shelly

Tina

Ann