Something suh-weet!

Hi suh-weet friends...thanks so much for stopping by for a visit! This week at Mo's Challenge Blog, our uber talented DT sistah, Elaine, is our hostess again...and she's decided that we should use the theme:

Something sweet (as in "food-related")

Seriously...how fun is that?? Plus, as you well know, Mo has about a kabillion images that fit this theme perfectly!!! So...I chose this little Watermelon Girl...have you ever seen such a cute image? ! (I know, I say that about ALL of Mo's images! LOL!) I couldn't wait to color this cutie patootie...and decided that she'd be perfect for this week's challenge at Mo's!!

My sweet and oh so talented friend and DT sistah, Debbie Lanci, made a "criss-cross pocket card" a while back and I decided it was time for me to break out of my comfort zone and try something new. So...that's just what I did! I used Wild Wasabi cardstock from Stampin' Up...and these delicious DPs from...uh oh...I have no idea who makes these DPs. They're from a pad of DPs and, when I saw them weeks and weeks ago, I pulled them out and set them aside for this little image. And, now I haven't a clue who makes them! Sorry about that! ugh!! I do remember that the peachy pink cardstock is from DCWV's Pastel Pack. Here's a close-up of this adorable little Watermelon Girl.

 I used the following Copics:

Skin: E21, 00, 000, 0000

Cheeks: R20

Hair: E19, 15, 11, 23, YR21, 20

Watermelon: G28, 24, 21, 40 (I lost my G20...ugh!) and YG11

Peachy-pink: R20, 01, 00, RV10, 000

White dress: C1 & 000

Shadow: W1, 00

Look at that, I just slipped in the "artsy" pic without warning you! Were you so surprised?! hehehe! Well...here's another one for good measure...

And here's a photo of the card with the inside popped out a bit so you can see it. This is such a fun sentiment for this challenge, don'tcha think? I found it at Stamping Bella!! The scroll thingie around the sentiment is a stamp from Stampin' Up (it's called "Elizabeth")...the ink is Wild Wasabi. These gorgeous flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts...the leaves are from Marianne Createables...and that little clip and ribbon are from my stash. Ooohhh...almost forgot...the lace edging is made with  Doohickey die from Magnolia.

So that's it for me, kids. Be sure you stop by Mo's DP2 Challenge Blog and take a peek at what Elaine and the rest of my talented Teamies have created to inspire you. Then get crackin' on your own little masterpiece using one (or more) Mo Manning image (you can find lots and lots of fun images at Mo's online store HERE and HERE). Remember to follow Elaine's fun theme: Something Sweet (don't forget...it has to be food related!). One lucky participant (chosen at random) will win her choice of one of Mo's digi images! And that lucky person could be YOU!! Whooohooo!

Thank you so much for stopping by...and a special thanks for your kind comments. They really do make my day. Sending hugs...until next time...

Kisses and cake...mmm mmmm!

Hi guys...full disclosure...I'm scheduling this post because as you read it, I'll be in Phoenix, AZ hanging with my five adorable grandchildren...and their parents!! So I'll make this quick...

Once again, our sweet and talented DT sister, Linda, is our hostess...and she's given us this fun photo as inspiration...Hmmm...Kisses? Cake? Love? Layers? Sailors? So many options for this challenge!

Well...since I'd made a "sailor" type card for our last Magnolia-licious challenge, I decided to take inspiration from love and red, white, and blue...and layers...and here's what I came up with...

I used Real Red cardstock from Stampin-Up...and a fun new Nestabilities die called "Heart Circles"...no DPs this time...very clean and simple...kinda like the inspiration photo. I used two of my fave Magnolia images for this one...Cool Edwin (from the "Sweet Rainbow Collection") and Tilda with Heart (from the "You Are So Special Collection")...both are currently available at Magnolia-licious as Minis. Here's a view from the side...I used about a kabillion little foam dimensionals to pop up these layers...LOL!

Here's the list of Copics I used to color these cuties:

Skin: E21, 00, 000, 0000

Cheeks: R20

Hair: E19, 15, 11, 25, 23, 53, 51, 50, YR 21, 20

Dress: RV11, 10, 000, R01, 000

Heart: R27, 24, 22, 20

Jeans: B97, 95, 93, 91

Shirt: B00, 000, 0000

Shadow: C1, 0

Next you'll want to stop by Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog and see what Linda and the rest of my talented DT sisters have created for inspiration. Then...be sure to join in the fun by making and entering your own creation into this month's Inspiration Challenge. Remember, one lucky participant (selected at random) wins a $25.00 gift voucher for a Magnolia-licious Shopping Spree courtesy of our most generous friend and owner of Magnolia-licious, Diana Crick!!

So, that's it for me!! See, I told you it would be a short one!! Thanks so much for stopping by...and for your kind comments. Gotta run...going swimming with the grandkids! Until next time....

Are we there yet?

Hehehe!! I remember when we were kids, my brothers and sister and I were forever asking our poor parents, "Are we there yet?" whenever we set out on a trip or vacation. Well, now that I'm grown up and married and all mature and everything, I no longer pester my parents...instead, I ask my husband repeatedly, "Is it time for vacation yet?" LOL!! I gotta tell ya...I've been thinking about our annual trip to the beach almost non-stop for the past several weeks...and our vacation is just not coming fast enough for me!! Sooooo...I decided that I'd make a card about being at the beach...and, as luck would have it, my little card fits perfectly into this week's challenge at Mo's! Our very own clever and creative DT sister, Elaine, is our hostess this week and she's chosen the theme:

Summer Vacation!

Perfect, huh?!!  Well, here's what I came up with...

Hehehe! I should look so good in a bikini! I do enjoy those little umbrella drinks, though!! This cutie patootie is called "Little Umbrella" and is available at Mo's online store HERE. And, believe it when I tell ya, she was soooooo much fun to color!!

I used DCWV cardstock (pastel pack)...and the DPs are from Kaiser Craft's "Seaside Collection." I "borrowed" the idea to make a "quilt-like" design from my friend, Dorcas. Unfortunately for me, I haven't quite figured out how to work my little sewing machine...(I'm mechanically challenged, what can I say?! LOL!) so I pieced it together and secured everything with Score-Tape.

I used "Sand" Ultrafine Flower Soft for, you guessed it, the sand! The sentiment is from Whimsy Stamps...the raffia and buttons are from my stash...and I used Nestabilities Dies # 6 (Reverse Wonky Rectangles). Flowers are Prima. Coloring was done w/Copics.

So, there ya go...my interpretation of Elaine's "Summer Vacation" theme! Now...let's all hop on over to Mo's DP2 Challenge Blog and take a peek at the gorgeous "Vacation" creations by my very talented DT sisters!

Please join us this week, won't you? It's easy...just pull out crafting supplies and choose one (or more if you like) of Mo Manning's images and get started on your very own Summer Vacation card or paper project. Remember to link your project to Mo's Challenge Blog and you may just have your name chosen by the Random.Org thingie to win a FREE Mo Manning Digital Image of YOUR choice!!!! Yikes! Have ya seen the new "potty" images? Adorable!!

Thanks so much, my sweet friends, for stopping by to visit! Have a beautiful week...sending lots of huggggggggs...until next time....

July Summer Bash Blog Hop!!!

Beaches...sailing...swimming...fishing...barbecues...picnics...sun...VACATIONS...

Whoa...what's not to love about July?!!
(OK...forget mosquitoes, sunburns, traffic, and gnats...let's stick with the FUN stuff!)

And...speaking of fun...have you been having the MOST FUN on this awesome

Magnolia-licious Highlites

Summer Bash Blog Hop?!! 

If you haven't heard about it, then check out 

Magnolia-licious Highlites Blog for all the details!

If you've arrived by way of my incredibly talented friend, Norma, then you're right on track!! If you started in the middle and would like to catch up...you can start at beginning by visiting Sharon HERE.

So...for my card, I opted to go with a "beach" theme...OK...well, my DPs are from Kaiser Craft's "Seaside Collection" (that's beachy, right?!)...and, since I'm not actually going to the beach for another 6 weeks, I decided that I needed a way to take a "mental vacay"...hehehahahehe! (That's me laughing!!)

Now, I've had this darling little Lovely Tilda for ages...and if she had lips, you'd see that she's laughing!! And this sentiment (from Stampendous) seemed absolutely perfect! Add a little sun...and voila...beach party vacation (a.k.a. ME partying in St. Maarten!!)!! Lovely Tilda and the Sun both came from Magnolia-licious, my "go to" store for all things Magnolia!

I'm having such fun with tent cards lately...perfect for Lovely Tilda, huh?!! 

That's it for me, kids! Oops...almost forgot...
 

MY LETTER IS: “O”

 

OK...now that you've collected all of the letters, hop on back to

Magnolia-licious Highlites Blog for details on what to do next!

Thanks for so much for joining us on our fun Summer Bash Blog Hop!!

Black & White...PLUS ONE!!

A warm (as in really hot and humid) hello to all of you! That's right...it's in the mid-90's here in Richmond, VA with about a kabillion percent humidity!!! Ugh!! I keep thinking...sooooon my sweet hubby and I will be on the beach in St. Martin drinking pina coladas with cute little umbrellas in them!! So, I'm keeping good thoughts to get me through these hot summer days!!

I hope you all had a great week! I have been coloring and crafting up a storm!! Counting the days until I'm officially retired! 3 weeks from tomorrow...YAY!! Ahhh...but back to this week's challenge at Mo's...

Once again, our talented and creative DT sister, Cathy, has given us our challenge theme. And, let me tell ya...I was seriously challenged! But now that it's done, I quite love the finished product!! Cathy has challenged us all to make a card or paper project using the theme:

Black & white with ONE contrasting color!!

 
Now, I don't know about you, but I think it just seems WRONG to color skin grey!! But, then again, I grew up in the 50's when all photos and television were black & white...with shades of grey! So...that's what I did...I colored a "black & white photo"...but added a touch of my fave color...RED!! Once again, I had to pop on over to Mo's online store and I found this little darlin' called "Come Out and Play"...

What a sweetheart, huh?! And I tell ya, Mo is such a talented artist, isn't she?! I find myself smiling uncontrollably when I'm coloring her images!! True!

The funny thing is that my sister, Dee, and I were just talking about those goofy skates...you know the metal ones that came with a little key that we wore around our necks. Now...I will confess...I never actually skated on those things because I had such big feet! Yep...when I extended the skates big enough to fit my feet, they caved in the middle! LOL!! True story!!

I colored this little cutie with Copics...C7, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, 00. (C0 & 00 for skin...with a little C1 for shading.). Then I added R27, 24, 22, & 01 for her sneakers and hair bows! Cardstock is Riding Hood Red...and DPs, CS, and ribbon are all from Stampin' Up.The sentiment on the front of the card is from Stamping Bella. Rubies are from my last trip to the Caribbean...nah, just kidding! They're rhinestones, not rubies! LOL! Just checking to see if you're paying attention! hehehehe! Here's a peek at the inside...the "Happy Birthday" sentiment is from Stampin' Up.
 

Pretty simple little card recipe...very few embellies this time! But, you know, things were much simpler back in the 1950's!

OK...now you'll want to pop on over to Mo's Challenge Blog and take a peek at the delightful creations by my very talented Design Teamies! Then...pull out your Black & White papers, colors, etc...and one contrasting color and get busy making your own little somethin' somethin' for this weeks challenge!

Remember, you must use at least one Mo Manning image...no problem, right?! And you must follow this week's theme!! Oh, I almost forgot...one lucky participant (chosen at random) will win a FREE Mo Manning Digital Image!!!! Whooooohoooo!! So many Mo images...and so little time!! Thanks so much for stopping by...have a fabulous week!! Until next time....

Another Holiday Card...

I'm really getting a jump on my holiday cards! You just don't know how out of character it is for me to work this far ahead on a project!! Just ask anyone who knows me...I've gotten PROCRASTINATION down to a fine science!! LOL!! Sooooooo...enough about my character flaws...here's a cute little card I put together for this Sugar Bowl Challenge!

Our theme is "Lace"...and we have the coolest sketch by Kiki...check it out....

I must tell you, I had such a fun time with this card...I used a stamp from one of my fave Sugar Nellie collections...called Simply Sassy...and they're from the most talented artist, Krista Smith! This little Sassy is named "Tammy"...and she's available - along with the whole line of Sugar Nellie stamps and digi images from Funky Kits...a fun little online store in Scotland. Here's a close up of this sassy little darlin'....

I used Copics and Prismacolor pencils for added depth. Cardstock and seam binding are both "Cherry Cobbler"...from Stampin' Up. DPs are from Basic Grey's Eskimo Kisses collection.

That gorgeous doily die is from Cheery Lynn, the lace is from Wild Orchid Crafts, and the flower is from Magnoli-licious.

The snow is Polar Ice Flower Soft...and the little pom on Tammy's hat is made with Liquid Applique. The entire card got a healthy helping of Sheer Shimmer Spritz from Tsukineko. Here's a peek at the inside...

That big snowflake is a Sizzix die...the little snowflakes were made with a Martha Stewart punch...and I made the scallop corners with one of my fancy scallop scissors. hehehe! The sentiment is from Lili of the Valley....here's a close up...

So...you DO know what comes next, right? Now it's time to pop on over to the Sugar Bowl and take a few moments to drool over the gorgeous creations by my fellow DT Sweeties. Then...pull out your art supplies and get busy creating your own card or paper project for this fortnight's challenge. Who knows...you may just be selected to win a fabulous prize from Sugar Nellie.

Our prize for this challenge is....

your choice of FOUR Sugar Nellie stamps...

but if we have 100 entries, the prize changes from four to SIX Sugar Nellie stamps!

Whoohoo! So, be sure to play...and invite your crafty friends!!

Thank you so much for stopping by...and for your kind comments that always make me smile!! Sending sweet sugar hugs...until next time....

Just because...

Hi y'all...just a quick little post before I get busy with the FIVE cards I need to make before I leave for Phoenix in 9 days...to visit my kids and grandbabies! Whoohoooo!! I can't wait!!

So...I decided that I just had to color this little image from Sassy Cheryl's Digis. I added this cutie patootie to my collection months ago and just haven't had time to color her...until today! I must warn you...if you aren't a fan of green, yellow, and orange...avert your eyes ...now!! LOL!

For this little darlin', I decided to pull out my Prismacolor pencils and give those a try since it's been a while since I played with my pencils. Well, let me tell ya, it was such fun...but I'm not quite sure how her sweater and socks ended up orange...because I am soooooooo NOT an orange person. But, hey...as luck would have it, I actually found some DPs from Stampin' Up that matched pretty perfectly!

 

I used Wild Wasabi cardstock and  ink for the sentiment (also from SU)....Martha Stewart trellis and butterfly punches...and a Cuttlebug dotted swiss embossing folder. Flowers and gold doodads are from my stash. Sentiment is from Just Rite Stamps.

Here's a peek at the inside...which I kept very basic... the sentiment inside is from Stampin' Up.

And finally...oh, you KNOW you've been waiting for it...hehehe!!

That's right...the "artsy fartsy" view...

OK...now here's the deal...I'm entering this little card into Challenge #72 at Sassy Cheryl's Digi Challenge . The theme this week is...are you ready for it? Make your own paper ribbon!! Say what?? I LOVE my stash of ribbon...and making a card without it just about did me in!! So...if you look carefully you'll see that, woven into the trellis, is a teensy tiny strip of paper that I'm calling "paper ribbon"...and the little banner thingies on the medallion are also called "paper ribbon"! Well...it's a stretch, but I swear, it's the best I could come up with. This challenge was a real challenge for me!! LOL! That's why it's called a "challenge"...I know, I know!

So, that's it for me...am off to make a few more cards...with REAL ribbon this time. hehehehe!! Thanks so much for stopping by...and for your sweet comments that always bring a smile to my face!! Until next time...

Red, White, & Blue...

Guess what? It's the second Tuesday of July! I can't believe we're 1/2 way through the year already! Like many of you, I've already started thinking about Winter Holiday cards!! But, for this fun color challenge, our very clever and talented Design Teamie, Linda, has chosen...

 Red,         , and blue 

(note...the middle word is "white"...you just can't see it! LOL!)

Now, I'd been wanting to make a "Thank You" card for our friends in Tennessee for putting up with DH and me for a full weekend a few weeks ago! (You may recall, that was the the trip when my hubby dumped me into the lake while he was trying to park a Sea Doo...with me hanging on the back end! LOL!!) Hmmmm...I thought, nautical theme might be fun! So, here's what I came up with...

Oh yea...this could be me trying to climb up the dock ladder...but I looked like a drowned rat...Tilda looks much fresher!! hehehe!! I made a fun gatefold card...and used  "Tilda on Rope Ladder" and that fun "Sea Banner" from the Magnolia Bon Voyage collection. DPs are from DCWV's "Nantucket" collection...and the buttons and charm are from my stash.

Cardstock is Night of Navy and Riding Hood Red (Stampin' Up)...and I colored all images with Copics.

I used this cute little "Edwin with Binoculars"  and "Hawser" rope image for the inside...leaving plenty of space to include a handwritten note. Here's one last little view...

Now you'll want to pop on over to Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog and see what Linda and the rest of the amazingly talented Design Team have created for inspiration. Then...be sure to join in the fun by making and entering your own Magnolia red, white, & blue creation into this month's Color Challenge. Remember, one lucky participant (selected at random) wins a $25.00 gift voucher for a Magnolia-licious Shopping Spree!! Who knows...you may just be that lucky person!!

That's it for me!! Oooohhh...wait...one more thing...I'm entering this cutie into 7 Kids College Fund Challenge. Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit...and for always leaving such kind comments. They truly make my day! Maggie hugs...until next time....

Sherbet Pips...

Hi y'all...it's me again! I've had the best time this weekend...and I'm just dying to share this new little image with you!! Actually, there's a whole set of these little cuties from Sugar Nellie...they're called Sherbet Pips and you can get them at Funky Kits. Here's a pic of all five of these sweethearts! (I can show you now because I've already purchased all of them! Bwahahaha!! <-- that's my evil laugh!!)

So...I made this fun tent card using Honey Pip...

Now, I will tell you that I have never, ever made a tent card...but Dena has a great tutorial for a tent card HERE. I just changed the dimensions a bit...since I generally make 5.5" x 5.5" cards...so where Dena says to cut your cards to 6", I just cut to 5.5"...and for the little "tent" piece, I used 5.5" x 4"...everything else was the same...easy peasy!!

I used Blushing Bride cardstock (from Stampin' Up) as my base...and the DPs came from the 50% off table at Barnes & Noble, believe it or not!! They're from K & Company! I just thought the colors were yummy...and my sweet hubby picked up not one but TWO 12" x 12" pads for me...because they were on sale!! That's right...he feeds my crafting addiction too! hehehe!

I colored this little "Pip" with Copics...

Skin: E21, 00, 000, 0000

Cheeks: R20

Hair & shoes: E29, 25, 23, 53, 51, 50

Dress & anklets: R02, 02, 00, RV10, 00, 000

T-shirt & leggings: BG72, 70, 10, 000, 0000, G24, 21, 20

Here's a close up of the gorgeous flowers and metal filagree corner (I love these!) from Wild Orchid Crafts. I also added a pearl flourish from ZVA Creative...some pearls from my stash...and finished it with a bow made from seam binding (Pear Pizazz from SU). Ooooh...I almost forgot...the sentiment is from Lili of the Valley.

So...I've decided to enter this little cutie into Challenge #27 at Wild Orchid Challenges which is to make a "Tent" card! Thanks WOC for giving us the link to Dena's tutorial!! And...that's it for me. Thanks so much for stopping by to see what I've been up to...until next time....

Tilda just for fun...

Hello from Richmond, VA, U.S.A. I'm having a pretty productive weekend...imagine what I'll be able to do when I'm a SAHC (stay at home CRAFTER!!)! This card is a twisted easel card that I made for fun...I followed the sketch over at CLP so I thought I'd enter it into their challenge # 38! I had also planned on entering it into this week's TOMIC challenge, but DRATS...I missed the deadline! Oh well...maybe next week!

So here's Tilda with Butterfly Dress...you can find her and all of her Tilda and Edwin friends at Magnolia-licious...my fave online store for all things Magnolia. I colored Tilda with Copics and Prismacolor pencils. DPs are from a variety of places...primarily Heidi Grace and Prima...with some cardstock from DCWV.

The colors are very pastel celery green and a very pastel lavender pink...flowers are, of course, from Wild Orchid's Crafts...and the ribbon is Certainly Celery from Stampin' Up.

I used a couple of Magnolia Doohickey dies..."Swirly Butterfly" and "Vintage Tag"...also available from Diana Crick at Magnolia-licious. I tell ya, if you haven't checked out Diana's store, you definitely need to. Not only does she have a full complement of Tildas & Edwins and all their accessories...she also carries the largest stock of Mini Maggies in North America!

So, that's it for me...am keeping my fingers crossed that Blogger is working so I can post this...it's been acting a bit finicky today! hehehe! Until next time...