Guess what I've been doing?!

Hi friends...my cardmaking has taken a bit of a back seat to another project...my craftroom! Yes, it's true...I could no longer see the carpet! Seriously, I had piles and piles of cardstock and DPs all over the floor. So, after seeing my sweet friend, Sandy's craftroom, I was motivated to get organized...I regret that I didn't take a "before" shot...but, honestly, I would have been far too embarrassed to post it!

Instead, you can see the "after" pics.
My sweet hubby patiently put together all of these cubicles...and I'm quite pleased with the end result. Except for one thing...I can't remember where I put things! LOL!! Pat

Happiness...is in the journey....

Hi friends...oh my, what a busy weekend we've had so far. Our dearest friends from Chattanooga, TN, came for a visit. We all went to the Jimmy Buffet concert on Thursday...and we had such a fun time! Unfortunately, all good things come to an end and our friends had to go back home. No worries...we're already planning next year's visit!

Now my house is quiet once again and I'm contemplating the chaos that has become my craftroom. I purchased some new shelving and storage units...so I'll be working on organizing the insanity!! I have so many beautiful DPs and packages of cardstock and flowers, etc., and I can't find any of it! So, the time has come to do something about it! BUT,,,before I could start, I needed to finish a card that I started last Sunday! YIKES!!

After seeing Magnolia's new Autumn Collection, I was inspired to make something a little fall-ish. Here's what I came up with. It's all buttons and bows...no flowers! (A real departure for me...since I love flowers!)
Here's the "recipe":

Cardstock: "Crumb Cake" by SU
DPs: K & Company
Ribbon: Bravo Burgundy grosgrain by SU
Sentiment: SU (from an old, old set I located in my crazy craftroom!)
Copics: E13, 11, 00, 000, 0000(skin), R20 (cheeks), E25, 99, 33, & YR21, 20 (hair), E57, 53, 50, 35 (suitcase), G99, 21, 20, YG63 (dress & hat), R89, 85, 83, G20, 24, 28 (flower), C7, 5, 3, 1 (shoes), C0, 00 (anklets & lace trim), W2 & 3 (to soften the greens a bit).

Thanks so much for stopping by...I'll see you soon! Pat

I'm surrounded by talent...

Hi everyone...just a quick post as I sit here in my craftroom contemplating my next card...hmmmm...hmmmm...hmmmm <-- that's me "contemplating!! LOL!

So, seriously, I have a couple of cards I need to post...the first is a card that my sweet "baby" sister, Dee, (you've seen me mention her here a time or two!) made for my birthday last year. I am only giving you a "sample" of the card...well, it's a booklet really. Filled with glitter (arrgghh...she hadn't yet discovered Stickles glitter glue!) and macaroni and dog bones...well, take a peek. I think it's clear that talent runs in our family!! I love this card and have it prominently displayed in my craftroom for inspiration. My sister is a sweetheart...and I love her bunches! I wish we lived closer...she's in Minn. where it's frickin' frackin' freezin' most of the year...except when it's really, really hot and humid and you get eaten alive by the state bird...the MOSQUITO!! LOL!



Now, this next card is from my sweet Mountain Mama friend in NC. She doesn't have her own blog yet...but I just had to post this beautiful Copic-colored creation!! There's a bit of a story behind this card...suffice it to say, it's perfect for me! Have I mentioned that my hubby and I go to St. Martin for vacation every year? We quite enjoy the beaches!! Thank you Sandy, you're a doll and I can't wait to visit you in NC...I'm dying to spend time in that gorgeous craftroom of yours!!




OK folks, that's it for now...time for me to do some coloring! Catcha soon. Pat

Pen Pals & Pearls...

Hi Friends! It's Monday evening and I have a really fun week coming up. We have some very good friends from Chatanooga, TN, flying into Richmond for a visit. We're all going to don grass skirts and coconut bras and head up to Manassas, VA, to the Jimmy Buffet concert along with about a kabillion other "Parrotheads"!! So, it'll be a short work week for me...and then, on top of that, I've got a 5-day weekend. Wooohoooooo!! Crafting time again!!! hehehe! So here's a cute little Sugar Nellie stamp...made by Elizabeth Bell. I think these little girls are just tooooooo cute!! I used Pretty in Pink from SU and some Neenah white cardstock, then I added DPs from Papermania called "Rose Garden" (this was a gift from my sweet "Mountain Mama" friend in NC). Copics used were: E11, 00, 000, 0000 (skin); R20 (cheeks); G20, 24, 28(leaves in her hair); E19, 15, 11, YR21 & 20 (hair); BG72, 10, 0000 (shirt and hair scarf); R81, 83, 85, RV10, 0000 (pants); R21, 24, 27 (flowers in hair). I also used Prima roses, dotted swiss ribbon & Mikimoto pearls from my stash! I also used my trusty little Cuttlebug and a trellis MS punch.

So...I thought I'd enter this little sweetie into challenge #42 over at Sugar Nellie's Blog HERE. The theme is "pearls" and this fun sketch is from Lillian. Thanks so much for visiting my blog...hope to see you all soon. Pat

Happy Birthday Adam!

Hi friends...I hope you're having a fabulous weekend...I know I am...I've been hiding out in my fave room of the house...my craftroom!! Today's post is a card that I made for my "baby's" birthday! Adam will be 32 on Sept. 11th...and I'm trying to get a jump start on some of the cards I must get done before I go on vacation...to bask in the sun on the beaches in St. Martin! So this little image is from LOTV...and I'm entering the card into their Thursday Challenge..."Let's go dotty for circles" HERE. Their images are among my faves...probably because I love cute little kiddos! And, as I've said before..."so many adorable stamps, and so little time!"

I have to admit, I always struggle a bit with "boy" cards...hope Adam doesn't think the bows are too "girly"...but, hey, at least I didn't put a bouquet of flowers on it like I do most of my cards! hehehe!! So, here's the recipe for this cute little b-day card for my very cute "not so little boy":

Cardstock: Very Vanilla (SU) and some green cardstock from my stash
DPs: K & Company - Hopscotch collection
Sentiment: Hampton Art
Ribbon: Dusty Durango - retired from SU
Charm & buttons: stash
Cuttlebug & Spellbinders dies
Copics:
E 0000, 000, 00, 11, 25, 33, 99
G 20, 21, 24, 28, 40
YR 12, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21
Y 13, 00
R 20
B 0000, 91, 93, 95, 97
C 00, 0, 01 (shadow)
W00 (to tone down the colors a bit)

Soooo, happy b-day Adam...I'm so proud of the man you've become...and so grateful that you had the good sense to marry the perfect young woman...and have two absolutely stunning daughters...Ava & Mia, who I cherish!

Thanks friends for stopping by...see you soon. Pat

Jan & Phillip...

Hi friends...today's post is another card for my sister, Dee, to give her dear friend, Jan, whose husband just passed away. They had been married 50+ years and had taken care of each other for all those years. I told Dee that I wanted to make a very special card for her to give Jan...and here it is. Here's the recipe:

Stamp: Jack & Ginger by Mo Manning (available at 7 Kids College Fund)
Cardstock: Very Vanilla by Stampin Up
DPs: by Laura Ashley
Pearl embellishments: Zva also from 7 Kids College Fund
Roses: Wild Orchid Crafts
Ribbon & charm: stash
Sentiment: Inkadinkado
Copic Sketch markers & Flower Soft
MS punches, Nestabilieis, & Cuttlebug

I hope my sister likes it...and, most importantly, I hope Jan finds comfort in the fact that she has good friends like Dee to help her get through this very difficult time in her life.

I've decided to enter this card into 7 Kids College Fund Challenge # 2 HERE. Thanks for stopping by. Pat

Miranda's wedding...

Hi friends...I feel so honored to have been asked by my sister to make this card. Well, actually, I think I sort of strong-armed my sister into asking me (LOL). Dee's best friend, Sue, died several years ago after battling breast cancer...leaving a young daughter, Miranda, and 2 young sons. Sue's little girl is now a lovely young woman...and she's getting married in a few weeks! Now, I never actually met Sue, but I know my sister loved her...and I love my sister...so making this card for my sister to give to Sue's daughter was very special for me. I have decided to enter Miranda's card in this week's Just Magnolia "Let's get sentimental" Challenge HERE. I am also entering this card into 7 Kids College Fund Challenge Blog - challenge #2 "Strip it down" HERE. I really enjoyed making this special card...thanks for stopping by for a peek. Pat

Snow and ice in August?

Hi everyone! Just a quick post tonight so I can watch some TV with my sweet hubby. I'm so tickled to show you another card with a darling little Lili of the Valley image! This one is from the recently released Christmas collection. Don't you just love this soft aqua and burgundy together? It may be one of my new fave color combos!! I'm entering my card into this week's LOTV "4 seasons" challenge HERE. I chose winter as my season...funny to be thinking about winter when it was in the mid-90's here today! LOL! No snowflakes or ice in sight...except on my card!! I hope you enjoy my latest little creation. Thank you so much for stopping by...I'll see you all soon. Pat

Little Boy Blue...

Hi friends...just a quick post tonight. Have to go watch the Twins beat the White Sox! My hubby is a White Sox fan...while I, having grown up in Minnesota, tend to root for the Twins! It's always fun to tease and badger one another while we watch the game on TV! Here's something fun, a friend of mine at work just asked me to make a few cards for her, including a baby boy card! Sooooooo, I thought I'd take advantage of the opportunity and make a card with one of the darling stamps from Lili of the Valley. I think it turned out pretty cute (if I do say so myself!) I used Debbie Mumm DP; Barely Banana cardstock from SU; and Copics to color the skin: E11, 00, 000; cheeks: R20; blues: B23, 21, 41, & 18; yellow: Y23, 21, 000, 0000. Sentiment is from Whipper Snapper.

I've entered this card in this week's LOTV Challenge HERE.

Thanks for stopping by. See you soon. Pat

I DID IT!!!!

OMG...it's taken forever for me to figure this out! With a lot of help from my friends, I added a link in one of my blog posts!!!!! YAY!!! Big, big, BIG THANKS to Barb H. & Nancy & Ruby...(and everyone else who sent me tips) for your patience with my ineptness (is that a word? because it describes me to a "T" when it comes to computers!!!) Wooohooo...I'm so excited...I could burst!! (Seriously, am I so easily thrilled, or what?!) Anyway...I just needed to share that with all my dear bloggin' buddies out there!! Thank you all! Catcha soon...I have another challenge to get ready for! (I hope I don't forget how I did that "link" thing! LOL) Pat

Spots before your eyes!

Hi friends...well, between unclogging a sink & doing laundry I stole some time to make another little card! This one features "Lola Da Vinci" from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps which I purchased from Tab over at 7 Kids College Fund. So...here's the recipe:

Cardstock: Stampin-Up Blushing Bride & Baja Breeze, Cryogen white
DPs: My Mind's Eye
Flowers: Prima
Buttons, ribbon, charm, & brads: from my stash
Sentiment: Inkadinkado
Copics: E11, 00, 000, & 0000 (skin); R20 (cheeks); E99, 25, 33, YR21 & 20 (hair); E27, 25, & 21 (frame & paintbrush); R24, 22, 20, 00, RV00 & 000 (pinks); BG75, 72, 10, 0000 (aquas), E33 & 31 (floor); and C1 & 00 for shadowing.

Hope you enjoy her...she's going to get entered into the challenge at

7 Kids Challenge Blog HERE

...so wish me luck!! Catcha later...it's time for brunch!! Pat

New design...

Hi again...I've been playing around with my blog and have just changed the design. A little softer! I wanted something a little different and I thought this was fun! Heading off to bed so that I can do more crafting on Sunday! YAY! I love weekends! Catcha later...Pat

Pink Polka-dots n' Pearls...

Hi friends...YAY...it's Saturday! And I'm hanging out in my messiest & most fave room of the house...my craftroom!! I've been having some fun making a birthday card for my daughter-in-law, Chrysty. Her b-day is later this month! I hadn't yet inked up this little cutie holding a "birthday pie" (work with me here, I didn't have a Tilda holding a b-day cake!! LOL) so I thought this was a perfect opportunity to do just that! I used some new paper from Stampin-Up called Blushing Bride...and my DPs are called Kitschy Kitchen from www.melissafrances.com. Oh...I used SU Very vanilla for my card base. Tilda was stamped onto Cryogen white paper and colored with Copics. I think she turned out kinda cute, if I do say so myself. If I can figure this out, I'm going to enter this card into a challenge...

I've entered my card into the following challenge (I hope...if I did this right!):

http://www.7kidschallengeblog.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much for stopping by...see you soon. Pat

Emma...

Hi friends! I hope you're having a great day...and, guess what? It's the weekend...YAY!! So...here's something very cool... Emma, our 11-year-old grandaughter who lives in AZ, now has an email address and she and I have been emailing each other for the past couple of days! OMG...she is the coolest kid. It's such fun to be able to communicate with her like this. I miss her so much! She's getting ready to go back to school next week...and will be in 6th grade. But, get this, brag-brag-brag!!...she's in advanced math (ugh...I'm awful at math!) and will be doing 7th grade math! YIKES!! I'm so proud of her...and so completely thrilled to have her as my grandaughter and friend! This girl ROCKS!! (I love you, Emmie!) So...I'll be back soon with a new card or two...wooo hoooo!! Catcha later...Pat

Oh baby!

I'm pretty sure I'm losing my mind!! No, seriously, I could have sworn that I read on Suzanne Dean's blog "Scrap Bitz" two days ago that she was having a little challenge...looking for cards with "All about babies" and "All about fall" as the themes that needed to be sent to her by no later than August 6th! So...dum-de-dum, I made a little baby card and just went to Suzanne's blog to find the post again - just to be sure that's what she was asking for and, guess what?! The post isn't there! Seriously??!! So...either Suzanne decided to remove the post...or I am honestly making things up in my ever-creative mind! LOL! Oh well...no biggie. It just so happens that a girl in my office is having a baby girl and I volunteered to make her card...so here it is! Pink and green...which, although I have used these colors alot, are actually her two fave colors! Go figure!! Anyway, I used a sweet little Belles 'n Whistles stamp on Cryogen white paper. (I'm experimenting with various papers!) I purposely did not do too much decorating on the inside, tho, because the card needs to be signed by a whole group of folks. So...instead, I embellished the outside of the envelope!! hehehe! I always love making little girl cards...hope you enjoy her! Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit!! See you soon...Pat

Entering challenges...

Hi friends...well, it looks like I goofed when I thought I had entered the LOTV and Magnolia-nautical challenges. Surely, tho, I can't be the only person who doesn't know how to do the challenge thing! I feel like I was absent the day that lesson was discussed in school...I'm hoping to find some info so I can figure out how to do it...arrgghhh! I really want to get more involved in all of this fun! I want to get my cards out there (for the free blog candy, of course), and because one of my desires is to get on someone's design team. But I'd better figure out the computer thing first, don'tcha think?K If anyone has any suggestions, please share. Thanks a bunch! Catcha soon. Pat

Tony & Steph are engaged!!

Hi everyone...well, my sister's sweet little boy, Tony (who is well over 6 feet tall and all grown up!) is engaged. He took his girlfriend (now fiance), Stephani to a romantic place and got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife! OMG...how totally romantic!! Anyway...my silly sister bought a card from my Etsy shop to give to them with a little engagement gift (I told her she gets the family discount...FREE!)...so, I thought I'd send her a second one as a bonus...that way she can have a choice! Besides, I've been just itching to ink up some new Hanglar Stanglar stamps that I was fortunate enough to get my hands on! Lucky girl that I am! LOL. Anyway...here's the little card I made today. I used some new SU cardstock (Baja Breeze, Creamy Caramel, & Very Vanilla) that I think is just yummy, and some coordinating DP from SU. I've included a pic of the Copics I used for these images...and the gorgeous flowers are from Wild Orchids. I actually love blues and browns together...hope my sister likes it enough to give it to her "baby". I'd better run...have to get to bed...short weekends are always followed by longer work weeks!! Why is that?! Catcha later...Pat

Sandy's card...

Hello y'all...I just have to post this cute little card from my sweet friend, Sandy, in NC. She sent me this darling little card a couple of days ago and, since she hasn't had time yet to set up her own blog, I thought I'd post it here for you all to see. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Catcha later...Pat

LOTV Challenge...

This is a red-letter day for me...I think I may have just figured out how to enter a challenge. I'm so intimidated by the computer! Anyway, I just entered Brody's b-day card in a challenge by Lili of the Valley Stamps. If I did this right, it's just the first of many challenges for me! We'll see...Pat

Brody's birthday...

Hi...it's me again! Today is "Pat"urday at my house (my sweet hubby made it up). That usually means I get to sleep in and I can do whatever I want...housework? NOT!! Crafting...of course! No sleeping in for me today, tho...I had to get up early and take my two little furballs (Fiyero & Cooper, our toy poodles...a.k.a. "Trouble 1" and "Trouble 2") to the groomer. You know you're in trouble when your groomer yells at you! It's been 3 months since the boys were clipped...oops! So now I'm getting ready to go to Barnes & Noble with my hub. But first I thought I'd show you a little card I made yesterday for our handsome grandson, Brody. He'll be 6 on Thursday...and he'll be in 1st grade!! Oh my!! Time flies by so quickly! So...I used a cute little image from Lili of the Valley Stamps...and I tried out some of the Cryogen paper that my sweet friend, Sandy, sent me as a surprise the other day...she sent the cutest card too...I'll post that later so you can enjoy it too! I used Copics...44 different colors to be exact. Seriously....what's up with that?! And I followed a design from LOTV. It's going in the mail today...hope Brody loves it! Thanks for stopping by...I'll catcha later...Pat

Ahoy Matey...

Hi everyone...oh my, it's the weekend already. YAY!! I'm sooooo excited! I have so much crafting to get done this weekend. I have many, many cards to create...for birthdays, engagements, weddings, baby showers...and I'm so excited because I just received a huge box of flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts. Well, I paid for them, of course...but wouldn't it have been nice if they'd have sent them to me gratis just because I'm such a sweet person?! LOL. OK...enough fooling around...I have to get cracking! Here's the little Captain Edwin that I've been struggling with for the past several days. Seriously, I think this little guy was the FIFTH or SIXTH attempt! I don't know if it was the paper I was using or if I temporarily lost my touch with Copics...but this one is truly a labor of love! Yep...and how perfect since this is a birthday card for my sweet hubby! He's a big Jimmy Buffet fan...and he's a pirate "wannabe"! I think he's gonna love it...although I'm going to have to keep it a big fat secret until mid-September!

I confess, I used more Copic markers for this card than any other card I've ever made...far too numerous to list...I lost track counting at 25! The cardstock is from SU (Baja Breeze and Creamy Caramel), and the DPs are from DCWV - The Travel Stack). I used my Tim Holtz distresser, Glossy Accents, and Ultrafine Flower Soft - sand color - for the (you guessed it) sand!. I had such fun making this card...well, once I was able to get Edwin colored, that is. I hope you have fun browsing through my bloggity blog! Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a beautiful rest of the day. Catcha soon...Pat