Spring . . . Reality or Wishful Thinking?!

Hey there, sweet friends!! It's time for another fun challenge over at Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog! And this fortnight's challenge theme is . . .

"Anything Goes"

Hooray!!! I love "Anything Goes" challenges!! OK . . . so, here's the deal . . . it was sunny and 74 degrees (F) on Sunday!! And yesterday, we had another snowstorm . . . which is pretty common this time of year in some parts of the world (like in Minnesota where grew up! Brrrr!) But here in Richmond, VA, this is rather unusual!! Anyway . . . there must be about  3-4 inches of snow on the ground right now . . . and well . . . I have one thing to say . . . I WANT SPRING!!! So . . . with that in mind . . . here's what I came up with . . .

I used one of my fave Sassy Cheryl cuties, Maddie!! This particular image is called "What'cha Growin' - Maddie" and is available HERE in Sassy Cheryl's online store. Here's a close-up . . .

And a side view . . .

  My card "recipe" . . .

Image printed on Cryogen Metallic Cardstock

Apricot Appeal & Chocolate Chip Cardstock: Stampin' Up

DPs: "Sun Kiss" by Prima

Rectangle dies: Nestabilities by Spellbinders

Apricot Appeal ribbon: Stampin' Up

Flowers, sentiment stamp, & pearls: my stash

Copic and Shin Han markers & color pencils

And one more pic . . . for good measure!

I feel warmer already! haha! Now . . . please pop on over to Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog and take a look at all the amazing cards created by my fellow Design Teamies! Then, we'd love for you to pull out some of your own craft supplies and at least one Sassy Cheryl image and join! Oh, and remember . . .

At least one lucky participant (but maybe more), selected at random, will win . . .

TWO Sassy Cheryl Digi Images!

Thanks so much for visiting . . . and, as always, for your kind comments! Stay warm! See you soon!

I'm thinkin' SPRING!!

Happy Monday!! Hope you had a GREAT weekend!! Mine was nice . . . just hung around the house, chillaxin' with my hubby . . . working on some art . . . and doing a little card-making!! I tell ya . . . does it get better than that?!

So . . . since I'm pretty much OVER winter and snow and cold, I decided to pull out some Spring colors and make a little Easter card! What'cha think?

This cute little image of Maddie is called "My Little SNUGGLE Bunny" and is available HERE in Sassy Cheryl's online store! Here's a close-up . . .

So . . . here's the deal on this one . . . I had originally intended for this to be the cleanest and simplest card ever! BUT . . . when I was completely done with it, I noticed a teensy little spot of something in the white area . . . it may have been a flaw in the paper . . . but it didn't look right!! Sooooo . . . I pulled out some sticky pearls . . . and voila!! Crisis averted! Here's a side view . . .

And . . . one more angled view . . .

So, there ya go . . . that's what I've been up to!! Just a quick reminder . . . there's a super cool challenge going on right now over at Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog . . . be sure to check it out!! You may win 2 free Sassy Cheryl digis!!

Thanks for stopping by . . . see you soon!!

Bronte & Bella CELEBRATE their new "Clubhouse"!!

Oh oh oh!! It's Thursday!! And I just heard the most exciting news . . . Bronte & Bella are getting a new "Clubhouse" next month!! Stay tuned here and over at Mo's DP2 Challenge Blog for more information!!

And now . . . it's time for another new challenge at Mo's Challenge Blog!! My sweet and oh-so-talented friend Franz is our hostess this week. And she's chosen another of my favorite themes . . .

Add a Ribbon!

Whoa . . . how easy is that?!!

It's Bronte & Bella . . . one of my oldest and most favorite Mo Manning images!! This one is called "So Jazzed" . . . . and is available HERE in Mo's online store. Now I know the card is pink and brown . . . but Bella is an artsy little "free spirit" . . . so I decided she needed to wear some bright RED . . . to offset her crazzzy red hair!! hehe!!

A side view . . . 

My Card "Recipe" . . .

Cryogen Metallic White Cardstock

Pretty in Pink & Chocolate Chip cardstock: Stampin' Up

Digi DPs: Nitwits

Corner die: Joy Crafts

Circle die: Memory Box

Ribbon, pearls, & charm: My stash

Shabby Pink Frantage

Roses: Wild Orchid Crafts

Sentiment tags: LOTV

Shin Han & Copic markers; colored pencils

And . . . one more pic . . . 

OK . . . now it's your turn . . . but before you get craftin', first you'll want to head on over to Mo's DP2 Challenge Blog to check out the fabulous projects created by Franz and the rest of my clever DT sisters! Then, please join us in this week's "Add a Ribbon" challenge. It's easy . . . just pull out your craft supplies and at least one Mo Manning image and start creating!!

Oh, oh, oh . . . and don't forget, Mo is awarding (selected at random) one $5.00 shopping spree at her online store for every 25 challenge participants! What an easy and fun way to get some new Mo images, right?!

And that's it for me! Have a great week! Hugs . . .

A Special Thank You . . . for a VERY Special Young Lady!

Happy Tuesday, my sassy friends!! It's time for another challenge at Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog! It's been two weeks since our last challenge . . . and I've been a busy woman!! I spent a long weekend in Arizona hanging out with my three kids and our six grandkiddos . . . here's a pic of four of them crafting with gramma!

Aren't they cute? I miss them already!! Okey dokey . . . back to this week's Sassy Cheryl's challenge! This week's hostess is my very clever and sassy DT sister, Linda!! She's chosen the theme . . .

"Punches &/or Dies"

That's soooooo easy . . . 'cuz I always use punches and dies when I make my cards!! Here's what I came up with . . .

This card is for our 8 year-old granddaughter, Sophia, who allowed me to accompany her to the Phoenix Art Museum when I was in AZ! She is a very talented, budding artist . . . and this was her first trip to an art museum!! I felt so delighted to share the experience with her and her momma (my daughter, Amy). Sophie was really getting into it!! By the end of the day she could tell me the difference between Impressionism and Realism . . . Portraits and Landscapes . . .  and could identify paintings created using Pointillism! Here's a pic of my little muse . . . 

I used one of my fave Sassy Cheryl images for Sophie's card . . . Sassy Sally!! This image is called "A No. 2 Pencil & a Dream" and is available HERE in Sassy Cheryl's online store. I actually removed the word "dream" and stamped in "Thanks" using a Stampin' Up rubber stamp. Here's a close-up . . .

And a side view . . . 

A peek at the inside . . .

 My card "recipe" . . .

Image printed on Cryogen Metallic Cardstock

Soft Sky & Very Vanilla Cardstock: Stampin' Up

DPs: "Secret Garden" by Graphic 45

Rectangle dies: Nestabilities by Spellbinders

Butterfly die: Magnolia

Seam Binding: The Ribbon Girl

Corner rounder punch & pearls: my stash

Trellis punch: Martha Stewart

Sentiment: Stampin' Up

Flower: Wild Orchid Crafts

Copic and Shin Han markers & color pencils

And one last "fancy schmancy" view . . .

Now . . . please pop on over to Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog and take a look at all the amazing cards created by my fellow Design Teamis! Then, we'd love for you to pull out some of your own craft supplies and at least one Sassy Cheryl image and join! Oh, and remember . . .

One lucky participant, selected at random, will win . . .

TWO Sassy Cheryl Digi Images!

Thanks so much for visiting . . . and, as always, for your kind comments!

"Love is..." at Mo's

Happy Thursday, my sweet friends!! It's time for another new challenge over at Mo's DP2 Challenge Blog!! And, this week, my sweet friend and fellow DT sister, Lis, is our hostess. And she's chosen the theme . . .

Love is . . . !

Easy peasy! Especially since tomorrow is Valentine's Day! So . . . I decided to make a card for my sweet husband and best Valentine ever!! But, I'll let you have a peek before I give it to him . . . 

This sweetheart is a brand, brand new Mo Manning image called "Goodness" . . . . and is available HERE in Mo's online store. I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that Mo created this little cutie as a tribute to the late Shirley Temple (who passed away just a few days ago!). Here's a look at the little tag . . . 

A side view . . . 

My Card "Recipe" . . .

Cryogen Metallic White Cardstock

Real Red & Whisper White cardstock: Stampin' Up

DPs: "Lovely" by Authentique

Ribbon: Stampin' Up

Stickles

Roses: Wild Orchid Crafts

Sentiment Stamp: Penny Black

Twine & rhinestones: My stash

Shin Han & Copic markers; colored pencils

And . . . last, but not least . . .

OK . . . now it's your turn . . . but before you get craftin', first you'll want to head on over to Mo's DP2 Challenge Blog to check out the fabulous projects created by Lis and the rest of my talented DT sisters! Then, please join us in this week's "Love is . . . " challenge. It's easy . . . just pull out your craft supplies and at least one Mo Manning image and start creating!!

Oh, oh, oh . . . and don't forget, Mo is awarding (selected at random) one $5.00 shopping spree at her online store for every 25 challenge participants! What an easy and fun way to get some new Mo images, right?!

Oh wait . . . I almost forgot . . . I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Tuesday Morning Sketch Challenge #236

Wild Orchid Challenge #96 - "Love is"

And that's it for me! Have a great week! Hugs . . .

We're "All About Hearts" at Sassy Cheryl's!

Hey there, sassy friends!! It's time for another challenge at Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog! From now on . . . Challenges at Sassy Cheryl's will run for 2 weeks! That means more time to get something created and entered!! Wheet whoo!!

So, this week's hostess is my very talented friend and DT sister, Angie, who has chosen the theme . . .

"All about HEARTS"

Perfect . . . especially since Valentine's Day is right around the corner! Here's what I came up with . . .

This is the very, VERY first time I've created a card without a character!! Quite a departure for me . . . but I've had this image for like forever . . . and decided that it would make a lovely Birthday Card!! This image is in the "Backyard Flowers & Birds" digi set  . . . and is available HERE in the "Oldies but Goodies" section at Sassy Cheryl's Digis. Here's a side view . . . 

A peek at the inside . . . 

My card "recipe" . . .

Kraft paper & corner die: My stash

Digi DPs: "Grins & Giggles Too" by Nitwits

Heart dies: Memory Box

Heart edge punch: Martha Stewart

Sentiment: Stampin' Up

Flower die: Sweet Williams Strip by Cheery Lynn

Copic and Shin Han markers & color pencils

And one last view . . .

Now . . . please pop on over to Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog and take a look at all the gorgeous heart-related projects created by my fellow DT sisters! Then, we'd love for you to pull out some of your own craft supplies and at least one Sassy Cheryl image and join us for this fortnight's challenge! Oh, and remember . . .

One lucky participant, selected at random, will win . . .

TWO Sassy Cheryl Digi Images!

Thanks so much for visiting . . . and for your kind comments!

We're seeing "Spots & Dots" at Mo's!

Happy Thursday!! I'm back again with another post . . . gosh, after my several weeks' break, I've been busy, busy, busy catching up!! It's time for another new challenge over at Mo's DP2 Challenge Blog!! And, this week, my sweet friend and fellow Design Teamie, Mau, is our hostess. And she'd like to see . . .

Spots & Dots!

Hehe! What a fun challenge theme, huh? OK, so, here's the deal . . . I had every intention of posting a new Valentine's Day card today except that last night we had SNOW once again! And, I gotta tell ya, for a Minnesota girl like me, snowfalls in Richmond, VA are pretty fun . . . and funny!! Everything closes down when it even LOOKS like there might be snow here! Here's a photo of the snow - shot from my studio window!

Pretty, isn't it? I think we maybe got 2-3 inches!! Soooooo . . . since I've been thinking a lot about snow, I decided to hold off on the Valentine's Day card and create something with snow!! What'cha think?

This darling Mo Manning image is called "Taste of Winter". . . . and is available HERE in Mo's online store. Have you ever caught snowflakes on your tongue? I have!! Here's a close-up . . . 

 This week I decided to make a "Crossover" card! These are always such fun to make . . . and so simple too!

My Card "Recipe" . . .

Cryogen Metallic White Cardstock

Chocolate Chip & Sky Blue cardstock: Stampin' Up

DPs: Snowfall Collection by Bo Bunny

Die: Joy Crafts

Liquid Applique for fur on coat

Sentiment Stamps & pearls: My stash

Shin Han & Copic markers; colored pencils

A peek at the inside card . . .

And . . . one last view . . .

Brrrrrrrr, huh?! OK . . . now it's your turn . . . but before you get craftin', first you'll want to head on over to Mo's DP2 Challenge Blog to check out the fabulous projects created by Mau and the rest of my talented DT sisters! Then, please join us in this week's "Spots & Dots" challenge. It's easy . . . just pull out your craft supplies and at least one Mo Manning image and start creating!!

Oh, oh, oh . . . and don't forget, Mo is awarding (selected at random) one $5.00 shopping spree at her online store for every 25 challenge participants! What an easy and fun way to get some new Mo images, right?!

And that's it for me! Maybe I'll go play in the snow . . . or shovel the sidewalk!! Thanks for stopping by . . . and, as always, for your kind comments. Stay warm!!

Maddie is "Smitten"!

Hey there, sweet friends!! Gosh, it seems like it's been ages since I've been in my studio . . . and it's been 3 full weeks since I posted anything here on my blog! Well . . . I have a perfectly good reason!! My hubby and I just got back from a Smooth Jazz Cruise!! That's right . . . we spent a full week floating around the Caribbean . . .

. . . and drinking delicious adult beverages with those adorable little umbrellas!!

And then . . . after enjoying 80 degree F temperatures, we came back to cold and snow!! Haha!!

But . . . no worries . . . snow is melting, finally! And I'm baaaack . . . all relaxed and excited about this week's challenge at Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog! Oh, oh, oh . . . and this week's hostess is my very talented DT sister, Nela who has chosen the theme . . .

"Don't Be Square"

Easy peasy, right? So here's what I came up with . . .

Say hello, once again, to little miss Maddie!! Yep . . . I'm still lovin' her! But . . . be sure to check out Cheryl's store HERE because she's got lots of new digi images . . . not to mention a couple of adorable new characters!! Sooooo . . . this little Maddie is actually called "Smitten" . . . and she's available HERE at Sassy Cheryl's Digis. Here's another view . . .  

I decided to use lots of shapes . . . and create a little easel Valentine's Card!! Here's sort of a side view . . . 

My card "recipe" . . .

Real Red cardstock: Stampin' Up

DPs: "Lovely" by Authentique

Frilly Square #10 Die: Go Kreate

Heart dies: Nestabilities by Spellbinders

Sentiment: Penny Black

Pearls & brad: My stash
Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts
Copic and Shin Han markers & color pencils

And one last, sort of "artsy" view . . .

And there ya have it . . . my NOT SQUARE creation! Please pop on over to Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog and take a look at all the gorgeousness created by my fellow DT Sassettes! Then, we'd love for you to pull out some of your own craft supplies and at least one Sassy Cheryl image and join us for this week's challenge! Oh, and don't forget . . .

One lucky participant, selected at random, will win . . .

TWO Sassy Cheryl Digi Images!

Thanks so much for stopping by . . . and, as always, for your very sweet comments! Great big "sassy" hugs!

Love Machine

Happy New Year!!! I'm giving myself a little break from Christmas Cards . . . and decided to make something for Valentine's Day! Perfect, huh? Especially since there's a new challenge over at Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog where the theme is . . .

"Anything Goes"

w/a Sassy Cheryl image, of course!

So . . . I made this card for my hubby to give his sweet, 94-year-old mother!! My hubby has always been rather "preppy" . . . and never misses an opportunity to get dressed up in a bow tie and plaid pants! Seriously!! I am soooooo NOT kidding here!! So . . . this image seemed just the ticket! Hehe!

This adorable image is indeed the brainchild of my very talented and somewhat "Sassy" friend, Cheryl (Alger) Grant. This cutie is from a rubber stamp set called "Together is Better" and is available HERE at Kraftin' Kimmie's. Here's a side view . . .  

A peek at the inside . . . 

And . . . one more angled view . . . 

So, there ya go . . . my first non-Christmas card in what seems like forever!! Now, I hope you'll take a few moments to visit Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog and see what my talented Design Teamies have created this week for inspiration! Then . . . please join us for this week's challenge! You may win 2 free Sassy Cheryl digis!! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . until we meet again . . .

BIG SALE at Mo's!

Hey hey hey!! This just in . . . Mo Manning has been busy, busy, busy . . . creating all kinds of new and positively precious images! You can check 'em out HERE. Plus . . . There's a huge SALE going on right now!! Check it out . . . 

Mo's BIG WINTER Sale!!  20% off your digital stamp order

Just use the coupon code 2014WS to get your 20% off.  Sale is good through Sunday, January 12th.  Check often for new images!!

Have fun shopping...see you soon!
Hugs,