Mimi's Birthday...

Hello again...hope you all had a fabulous weekend. I can't believe 2 days could fly by so quickly!! The weather was absolutely spectacular here in Richmond, VA...in the mid-60s and clear....a little breezy, which is helping the leaves fall. I can't get over the spetacular fall colors this year...vibrant reds and oranges and golds!! My fave time of year!!

So...in between venturing outside intermittently to take the pups out for some fresh air, reading, and taking a little nap, I've been busy in my craftroom! YAY! Here's a little card I made for our youngest granddaughter, Mia. She'll be 4 years old next month...just before Christmas, actually. So I thought I'd get a head start on her card. I've discovered that some of Mo Manning's images are perfect for Mimi...because they so look like her!! This little sweetie is called "Angelina" by Mo Manning. I love how the static electricity from the balloons is making her hair stand up!! Mimi's hair looks a little like this when she first wakes up in the morning!! hehehe!


Here's a close up...


I've decided to enter this simply darling little card into Challenge 58 at Mo's Challenge Blog HERE. This week's challenge is to use 3 punches and a Mo Manning image. The punches I used were:
* Martha Stewart punches (sorry...can't remember the name)...for the edge and corner
* Marianne's fancy circle die (don't know the name...I got it from Bunny Zoe's)
* Scallop circle punch (from Stampin' Up)
* Magnolia Doohickey die (for the inside tag)

And a pic of the inside...


Here's the rest of my card "recipe"...
Cardtock: Blushing Bride & Very Vanilla (Stampin Up)
DPs: K & Co. "Hopscotch" Designer Mat Pad
Ribbon & flower: my stash
Sentiment: LOTV
Glossy Accents for her shoes
And here's a pic of the Copics I used.


So that's it for now...I have work tomorrow...but it's a short week (YAY!!) because we're celebrating Thanksgiving here in the U.S. Thanks to all of you for stopping by for a peek. Have a beautiful week, sweet friends. See you soooooon....

Thankful for YOU...

Hi friends...thank you for stopping by once again to see what I've been up to!! This is a card I made for my sweet baby sister (she'll cringe when she sees that I called her that!!). Her name is Dee...and she and I are best friends...we talk and email each other almost daily. We talk about anything and everything! Sometimes we just talk about the awful weather they're having in Minnesota!! LOL!! She gives me the "heads up"... because what they get in MN often travels east to VA!!

Anyway...she sent me the funniest package...candy from when we were kids! Well, it's not REALLY the actual candy we had 50 years ago...but same make and model! hehehe!! She sent Mallo Cups, a Clark bar, Jujubes (the kind that you can lob at people's heads when you're at the movies...they also stick like glue to your teeth...ohhh...and they taste like SOAP!!), and Teaberry gum!! Such fun!! So...while I am thankful for so much in my life...I want Dee to know that I am so very thankful for her!!

So Dee...do NOT scroll down. Your card will arrive soon enough!!

Here's the little card I made using one of my fave images from Sarah Kay!! You can get her from Tab at 7 Kids College Fund HERE.


I used Very Vanilla & Cranberry Crisp cardstock, & ribbon from SU. I also embossed the Vanilla cardstock with a Cuttlebug "Thanks" embossing folder. My DP came from Imaginisce - Apple Cider Collection. Martha Stewart's Bubble something (I'm sorry, I don't know the actual name) paper punch was used for the corners & paper edges.


I used my Cuttlebug and die cuts (Eyelet circles & Circles from Spellbinders, and Sizziz tags). Flowers came from Wild Orchids Crafts. So there you have it...oh, I almost forgot....I used Copics to color the images!!


I decided to enter this little darlin' into this fortnight's challenge at 7 Kids College Fund Challenge Blog HERE. The theme is "Give Thanks"...seems appropriate, I think!! So...thanks so much for stopping by for a visit. Have a beautiful week!! See you sooooooooooon!

The Sugar Bowl Challenge # 48

Hi friends...how fun is this? It's time for another Sugar Bowl Challenge!! The very talented Marlene came up with this fabby sketch for us...and challenged us to use the sketch as well as the colors Black & White & ????...


And wait 'til you hear about the prizes...Sugar Nellie is giving away to one lucky winner, chosen at random:

A set of Classic Scalloped Squares Nestabilities...and a sheet of not yet released Alice in Wonderland stamps from our own uber talented artist, Leanne Ellis.

So...because I've been just dying to ink up another of my fabulous Simply Sassy stamps, this one was an extra easy challenge for me!! I chose "My Friend Kitty"...and my additional color was - of course - PINK!!!


I also found the puuuuuurrrfect sentiment stamp (from Stamping Bella)...and the rest just sort of fell into place. Here's possibly the cutest little girl on the block!! Don't you just love her gorgeous green eyes? And those nobby little knees!! Oh yes...and big feet! LOL!! (You may remember from previous posts that I confessed to having big feet myself!! Well, I also have green eyes! hehehe...hey, she could be ME...except I'm allergic to cats...and my nose would be red and my eyes would be watering!!) I know...enough chatter from me...here's my DT project for The Sugar Bowl Challenge #48...


And, of course, can't forget the "artsy" angle!


And a side view...I must say, I love the flower I made with the Magnolia Doily Flower Doohickey!! And the teeny tiny black bows that were made with my Bow Easy!


And here are a couple of pics of the inside. I actually made a pocket for the left-hand side of the card...and tucked in a little tag made from a Magnolia Tag Doohickey! It's also a puuuurrrrfect pocket to tuck a gift care into!! I carried on the theme of Black & White & Pink for the inside...complete with a few petite little bows!!



So...here's the rest of my card "recipe"...
Cardstock: Pretty in Pink (Stampin Up) & White & Black (my stash)
DPs: Magnolia (I believe these were in the 2010 Autumn Collection)
Cuttlebug Dotted Swiss embossing folder
Loopy Edge Punch (Martha Stewart...I don't know the name, sorry) & Corner rounder
Black Diamonds & pink pearls my jewelry box...not really, they're rhinestones colored with a C9 Copic Sketch marker...and faux pearls from my stash!!
I used Glossy Accents to give her eyes and shoes a little shine...and Stardust Stickles for a little glitz on the hairbows
And here are the Copic Markers to color this little darling...


So...if you haven't yet checked out the other gorgeous creations by my fellow DT Sweeties, please pop on over to The Sugar Bowl and take a peek. Then get your crafting goodies out and create a fun card following Marlene's sketch...using Black & White...and another color! Have fun with this challenge. And, as always, thanks so much for stopping by to visit...see you soon...sending sweet, sweet hugs your way...

Birthday Wishes...

Hi sweet friends!! I hope you're all having a great weekend!! I've been hanging out in my craftroom all day...I have several projects in the works...here's one I've been struggling with for the last two days. But...I am pretty pleased with the results...even tho I'm not so much of a purple person! Here's what I discovered...if I just get out of my own way and let the card determine where it wants to go in terms of design, it makes things so much easier!! My inspiration was this absolutely gorgeous paper from KaiserCraft called "Lilac Avenue Collection". I flipped through my LOTV stamps and found this adorable little fairy - one I don't often see used - blowing what looks to me like dandelions...and that's how this card started.

Here are a couple of side views.


These are pics of the inside. Again, this is a side-opening card with a little "pocket" on the left side of the card, perfect for tucking a gift card into!!



Here's the rest of my card "recipe":
Cardstock: Concord Crush & Almost Amethyst from Stampin Up.
Sentiment: from Kanban stamps - stamped w/Concord Crush ink (SU)
Lavender Raffia Ribbon, lime green tulle, roses, green ribbon, pearls, & charm: stash
Doohickey tag: Magnolia
Stardust stickles
Copics (below).

So, there you have it...one darling little Make a Wish Birthday card which I'm entering into this week's "Anything Goes" Thursday Challenge at Lili of the Valley. Oh...one last thing...and I can tell you this because I've already placed my order (hehehe)...LOTV just released (on Nov. 12th) even more of their precious little girls stamps!!

Thanks so much for stopping by...and thanks for leaving such sweet comments!! See you soon.

Pink & Yellow...& PRIZES!

Hello sweet friends...I'm soooooo excited to be a part of the "inaugural" challenge for the brand new, uber fun Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog!!! Diana Crick has put together such a fab DT...and, with Candy Mills as our Team Leader, we have all been working very hard these past many weeks getting ready for this very exciting day!!!

We invite all of you to play along with us...we will post a new challenge twice a month - always on Tuesday. The first challenge of the month will be a "Color Challenge"...the second challenge of each month will include some kind of fun "Inspiration." Our first challenge - Pink & Yellow - was chosen by our very own Candy Mills...and we all had such fun with this challenge. I know you will too! Now, if you're worried about not being good enough...I will tell you that you ARE...in fact, you're better than "good enough"!!! So get out your fave Magnolia images...and your markers, pencils, inks, and whatever else you want to use, and prepare to HAVE FUN!!! Oh...I almost forgot...Diana has some great PRIZES for you too!!

Here's the little card that I created for this very first challenge. I just love this little "Oops" Tilda stamp. I used a masking technique so Tilda is standing in front of this very darling antique oven. Both stamps - along with all things Magnolia - are available at Diana's online store, Magnolia-licious. I colored the images with Copic markers...and I paper-pieced Tilda's hat and apron for a fun effect.



Here are some side views:




Oh...and guess what? I made this fun little card for my sweetest friend, Sandy, in NC! She recently had a birthday...and, since she's been one of my biggest cheerleaders, I thought it was perfect for her to receive my very first Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog DT card!! Even tho I couldn't tell her anything about the new Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog...or the "Pink & Yellow" challenge itself. I kept her completely in the dark...and believe me, keeping this all a secret was a real challenge for me!! But...hehehe...I did it!! Am so glad the secret's out now! LOL!!

Here's a very "artsy" view (I know...I'd better not quit my day job to become a photographer! hehehe)!:



Here's a peek at the inside:




So...here's my card "recipe"...
Cardstock: Banana & Pretty in Pink (Stampin' Up)
DPs: "Candy Floss" from Wild Rose Studio.
Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts
Ribbon & Pearl "garland" - my stash
Pearl flourishes: ZVA Creatives
Sentiment: Computer generated...I have to credit my sweet hubby with the sentiment! (Besides being handsome, he's soooooo clever!!)
Copics: See photo below.


So, there you have it...Sandy's "29th" birthday card...and my "Pink and Yellow" creation!! Now it's your turn!! We're all excited about this challenge...and can't wait to see your gorgeous and fun creations!!! So...get crackin'!! And, as always, thanks so much for stopping by for a peek at my little blog. See you all soooooon!

Dear Santa...I can explain!

Hi everyone...I hope you're all having the most wonderful autumn weekend!! It's cool and crisp here in Richmond, VA, and the leaves are starting to fall from the trees. This is my fave time of year...yet, no time for autumn cards right now...have to gear up for the winter holidays!! Besides, the holiday Magnolia stamps are just toooooo delicious!! So...today I have a very simple little card featuring "Tilda with Christmas Stockings"...she's from the Winter 2008 Collection.
I'll be honest, I struggled with the design a little...but it finally came together! I'm pretty pleased! I wanted to use pretty "classic" Christmas colors...green and red. Yet...they're not quite as classic as you may think! The "red" cardstock and ink are actually from Stampin' Up...called "Poppy Parade". So here's the deal...I had purchased the yummiest DP from Marianne Design...called "Scandanavian Christmas"...and the Poppy Parade was the only cardstock in my collection of reds that matched!!

Here are a couple of side views...
I made this card as a side-opening card...a bit of a departure for me...since I usually make top-opening cards. But I saw this design featured on Bev Rochester's Blog...and fell in love with the little inside pocket with a secret note enclosed!
Here's the rest of my card "recipe"...
Flowers & green leaves: Wild Orchid Crafts
Snowflake punch: Martha Stewart
Ribbon, "Rubies" & charm: my stash
Lots of Crystal Stickles
Nestabilities dies: Round & Lacy Circles
Cuttlebug embossing folder: Snowflakes
Scrolls: Sizzix dies
Sentiments: Front - JustRite; Inside - Savvy Stamps
Copics: E21, 00, 000, 0000 (skin; R20 & 00 (cheeks); E99, 25, 33, YR21, & YR20 (hair); G28, 24, 21, 20 (jumper & decoration on socks); C1, 0, 00 (blouse, lace, & socks).

I've decided to enter this little darlin' in Just Magnolia's Special Monthly Challenge. The theme is "Anything Goes". So many fab entries already!! Be sure to stop over there and check it out!

So that's it for now...am working on a couple other cards...Sophia & Mia both have birthdays coming up soon...Soph will be 5 and Mimi will be 4!! They're becoming such little ladies...the recent trip to the ER to extract peas from Mimi's nose notwithdtanding!! LOL!! Thanks so much for stopping by for a peek at my little creations...see you soooooooooooooon!!

Magnolia-licious NEW Challenge Blog...

I am so excited to announce (drum roll, pleeeeease) that I have been invited by Diana Crick - owner of Magnolia-licious, my fave place for all things Magnolia - to be on the new Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog's Design Team!! ta-daaaaaa!! How seriously cool is that??!! Thanks Diana...you rock!

Our first challenge will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 9th!! Keeping this all a big secret has been really, really, REALLY hard for me...good thing Tuesday is just a couple of days away because I'm about ready to burst!! LOL! So, please join me and the rest of the amazingly talented DT that Diana has put together...for lots and lots of magnificently magnanimous Magnolia-licious fun!!

Come play in the Sugar Bowl Challenge!!

Hi friends! It's Thursday and you know what that means? Well...it means it's almost the weekend...YAY!! It also means that we have another wonderful challenge over at the Sugar Bowl. And wait 'til you hear about this fortnight's challenge...and the fabby prizes!! That's right...one lucky winner, chosen at random, will win 6 "winter-themed" stamps from Sugar Nellie AND a set of Snowflake pendant dies from Spellbinders!!

So...heehee...I bet that got your attention, huh?? Here's how you can enter to win...

Simply make a card following this awesome sketch by Maria Therese...
and, if you like, you can also incorporate the optional theme of "Ribbons & Bows" into your creation! Remember, you must use at least one Sugar Nellie image...and let me tell you, there are so many fun images to choose from. I'm rather partial to the new Simply Sassy images by Sugar Nellie's new artist, Krista Smith. Here's a card that I just finished using one of the new Simply Sassy images named "Little Light of Mine." Isn't she too adorable?!!! I just love her big green eyes and cute little pug nose..and her great big feet!! (I wear size 11 shoes myself! LOL!!) Here are a couple of views from the sides...
And here's the inside of the card...


And here are a couple of "artsy" views:

And...here's the "recipe" for my little creation:

Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Whisper White, and Real Red (Stampin' Up)
DPs & fabric: from Stampin' Up's "Candy Cane" Christmas Collection
Buttons: SU
"Rubies" & charm: my stash
Sentiments: Just Rite stamps
Nestabilities dies: Spellbinders
Copics: E21, 00, 000, 0000 (skin); R20 (cheeks); E19, 17, 15, 13, & 11 (hair); R02, 02, 00, 000 (Peach pinafore, candle, & socks); BG72, 11, 10, 000, 0000 (dress & slippers); G20, 24, 28 (eyes); E35, 53, 50, R32, 39 (bear); YR23, Y17, 11, 00, 000, 0000 (candle flame), and W1 & 00 (shadows).

So, that's it for today. Thanks so much for stopping by...and do check out Sugar Nellie for the cutest and sweetest stamps in Scotland! I'll see you soon...but for now, I'm off to work! Have a beautiful day....

My new signature...

Hi again...one last post for the weekend. Ooooh...I just realized, it's almost November too!! Anyway, I'm just so proud of myself that I needed to share my excitement with all of you!! So...besides making two fun cards this weekend...and finally feeling like a human being after a week-long bout of some kind of respiratory bug...I miraculously figured out how ro put watermarks on my photos!! And...I just now figured out how to add this uber cool signature to my posts! YAY me!! Hope you enjoy it half as much as I do!! Have a great week!!