Livin' the Dream

Penny Black Betsy Bluebell

2012-02-06T16:16:00.003-06:00

I felt like doing a bright and cheerful "girlie" card on a rainy Sunday! Love Betsy Bluebell by Penny black. I think she will bring cheer right out of the envelope!

I am enjoying my new "retirement". Mondays are a lot more enjoyable when you don't have to be at work at 7:15 a.m. However, I spent the morning doing our taxes; it feels good to have that done.

Hope you have a Betsy Bluebell in your life when you need some cheering up. Thanks for stopping by.

Vintage Car and Skyline

2012-02-03T14:15:00.003-06:00

That skyline reminds me of my fun weekend in Minneapolis! And that Vintage Car could be me, trying to keep up with big city life! Had a wonderful visit with my daughter and enjoyed being spoiled! Temperatures were mild, with a light dusting of snow to make things pretty.

The background is Hero Arts' Newspaper Skylline stamped with Hero Arts mid-tone ink, Wet Cement. The car is stamped and embossed and cut out. I am loving the new Hero Arts stamps!

This is a photo of me with three of my Hero Arts blogging friends. From the left: Linda W; me; Anne B; and Barb E. We met at the Mall of America for lunch and continued our visit at Archiver's! The chatting never slowed down! We all agreed we felt like we had been good friends forever. Thanks, ladies, for a great visit and good shopping advice! Hope to see you again!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Valentine Exchange

2012-01-25T20:08:00.002-06:00

I love exchanging cards with blogging friends! This time it was a Valentine exchange and those participating each made a Valentine to send and received a Valentine. This is the card I made for Lynn (Toomanycrayons).

I love the Sillyscape image by Hero Arts and I reached for it again to make this card. The background is the new Hero Arts Newspaper background stamp.

I am off to Minneapolis tomorrow! Thunderstorms are predicted and I will be going from temperatures in the 60's to temperatures in the 20's! Good thing I've hung onto my winter coat and mittens!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Thinking of You

2012-01-22T17:47:00.005-06:00

This mysterious woman in the fashionable hat is from a ten-year old Hero Arts set called Women in Fancy Hats! I loved the images the first time I saw them and they are still some of my favorite stamps!

I'm entering this card in the CAS-ual Fridays challenge this week with the black and white theme (in honor of National Penguin Day!).

Hope you had a great weekend. It's been another rainy, dreary day here. I just had to go shopping to escape the gloom.

Only four days until I fly to Minneapolis! Hope it's warming up ...

Thanks for stopping by!!

Black and White

2012-01-21T08:13:00.003-06:00

I love black and white! The only thing better is black and white with a touch of red! But the rules at
CAS-ual Fridays state absolutely not even a touch of any other color!

I love this "Big Eyes" image from Hero Arts. And I have fun with him by adding spectacles of clear buttons!
If you are a fan of black and white, check out the CASual Fridays blog and take up the challenge!

It's a very stormy Saturday here in northern Alabama! Cooper is at the groomer's, so there is no little cold nose nudging me to leave the computer and play with him! I love how excited he is to see us when we return to the groomer's to bring him home!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Vintage Valentine

2012-01-20T13:55:00.002-06:00

I'm having fun with my Vintage Car stamp from Hero Arts. The background of this card is the Watch Gears stamp from the 2012 Catalog. Lurking in the right hand background is one of the ladies from a ten year old Hero Arts set called Sleek Styles. Thought she would enjoy being around a car from her era!

I am in the masculine card mode, it seems! Since I have four sons, that works!!

I noticed the temperature in Minneapolis is 7 degrees today! That's up from a minus 7 degrees yesterday. Hope those numbers keep climbing until my trip there next weekend!

Besides the treat of spending time with my daughter, I will be meeting some blogger friends for lunch at the Mall of America. And a trip to Archiver's is in the plan, too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Tiddly Inks Wryn

2012-01-19T09:27:00.002-06:00

This is "Growing Love", a digi image of Wryn from Tiddly Inks. I first saw her on Donna Mikasa's blog and it was love at first sight!

I am happy that I cleaned out my craft closet and rediscovered my little heart punch. I think the little hearts help anchor the image.

I will be having my annual mammogram today and I am using this occasion to remind anyone reading this to schedule your mammogram NOW! Soon I will be celebrating sixteen (16!!) years of being in remission from breast cancer. I found it early and you can be sure I don't miss my annual mammogram!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Vintage Car Valentine

2012-01-15T13:42:00.016-06:00

I love my wood block stamps! I know they take up space and sometimes cost more, but I love the feel of a wood block stamp! Maybe it's because that's how I started stamping almost 15 years ago! I also feel the wood handled stamps are more collectible. And I do have a large collection!

This Vintage Car stamp from Hero Arts was a "must have" when I saw it in the 2012 Catalog! This afternoon I was thinking about making a card with a "love" theme for this month's challenge on the Hero Arts blog. My little heart punch was sitting on the desk and it was a "llight bulb" moment!

This is one of the few cards I've made that turned out as I pictured it in my head.

It's a beautiful day in northern Alabama. Took the dog for a run in the park (the dog ran, I didn't!).

Oh, and be sure to look at the first photo in the right hand column of my blog. That's blog candy being given away by the incredible Kathy! Click on the photo and check out the details on her blog.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Penny Black Betsy Bluebell

2012-01-14T15:38:00.002-06:00

I love the Betsy Bluebell images from Penny Black! I stamped Ms. Betsy and embossed with clear embossing powder. I find with small images it helps my coloring to emboss! I paper-pieced the balloons. The diecut is Reverse Wonky Rectangles by Nestabilities. The label is a Nestie, too.

I'm going to enter the challenge at Penny Black Saturday with this card.

Hope you are all having a great Saturday, now that Friday the 13th is behind us. Did you remember that this is a leap year? For all of you in the frozen sections of our country, that's just what you need, right? Another day in February! Why couldn't it happen in June?

Thanks for stopping by!

Hero Arts 2012 Catalog Blog Hop

2012-01-10T05:37:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the second day of the Hero Arts 2012 Catalog Blog Hop featuring the Hero Hostesses! The blog lasts all week, so be sure to check out the inspiration every day. If you arrived here from Tiffany's blog, It's the Stuff I Love, then you are in the right place! If not, be sure to visit her blog first and then come back!

I am so happy to be a part of the Hero Arts new release blog hop with my Hero Hostess alumnae! I had so much fun playing with the new stamps in the Hero Arts 2012 catalog that I had to share four cards I made.

CG429 Hello Flower

This cling stamp is perfect for making quick cards for so many occasions! I experimented with various inks and colors and every combination was lovely! The reverse of this stamp looks like a photo engraving and provides the detail. Yes, this entire image is just one stamp!

CG427 Flying Airships; CG421 Watch Gears

This is a 5" x 7" card which gave me more room to showcase these wonderful masculine images! The Flying Airship image was masked when I stamped the Watch Gears image, resulting in this collage. The balloon and basket are paper-pieced. Added a touch of Copic marker to the watch images and some spirally wire to the tag.

CG421Watch Gears; G5544 Vintage Car; CL351Friends

For some reason, I think of the movie "Back to the Future" when I see this card! Love that Vintage Car! I stamped the Watch Gear image twice on this 5x7 card and added the car that was stamped, embossed and cut out from separate black cardstock. I'm ready for another masculine birthday!

CL580 Merci Bouquet

Finally, back to the feminine side! In order to place the sentiment as it is, I had to cut the clear stamp apart! Hard to do with a brand new stamp set! The embossed background is a Cuttlebug folder which I think adds the right amount of texture. This will be a great set to use for thank you's and "thinking of you" cards.

Hero Arts will be awarding prizes from randomly drawn comments. For a chance to win, simply comment on any of the stops along the hop on any day, including each day's starting post at the Hero Club Blog. The more comments you leave, the better your chance of winning!

If you find a broken link, you'll find a master list of the hop links at the
Hero Club Blog. Also, please report broken links to Tami.

That's it from me! Your next stop on the hop is Nancy's Happy Heart Studio, featuring Nacy Krueger, where you will be inspired by her talent and happy spirit!

Big Eyes

2012-01-07T15:52:00.002-06:00

This afternoon there was another 90 Minute Scramble on the Hero Arts blog. It's always a challenge to see if you can design, create and upload a card within the 90 minute time frame!

This weeks' challenge was to stamp an image on patterned paper. I had a great time stamping this big-eyed owl on many different papers, but this one by Cosmo Cricket was my favorite.

The fun part of this card is that the owl is wearing big clear buttons for eyeglasses! I know I will be using this stamp quite a bit. It's one of the new 2012 stamps from hero Arts. My cabin mate from last summer's Stamp Camp sent me this stamp for Christmas! This is the first time I've had a chance to ink it up!! Love him to pieces!

It's a rainy, gloomy day in Huntsville; perfect for stamping. A pot roast is simmering in the oven; the chores are done for the day.

Hope you are all having a great weekend; thanks for stopping by!!

Clean and Simple

2012-01-02T18:39:00.002-06:00

The theme for the past two weeks at CAS-ual Fridays has been "brown paper packages tied up in string". The challenge is sponsored by Market Street stamps and this image is from their set "Gone Campin'". I will enter this card in their challenge, too, which has the same theme!

Notice the gold shimmer; that's Perfect Pearls mixed with water and sprayed on the top half of the card.

Twelve from 2011!

2012-01-02T13:07:00.001-06:00

I've noticed and enjoyed blogs that highlight the artist's favorite cards from the previous year. I wandered through my Flickr photostream and chose the following 12 cards to feature today as "favorites" from 2011. I notice they are about equally divided between "cute" and "pretty"! I know that I enjoyed making them and that I didn't mind sharing them here ... there are some in my photostream that I wouldn't be so willing to share again.

Hero Arts

Digital Images

Hero Arts

Jane's Doodles

Penny Black

Hero Arts

Penny Black

Tiffany Doodles

Hero Arts

Happy New Year to all of you and thanks for stopping by!!

Joyride!

2011-12-28T09:18:00.003-06:00

Christmas is over and it's time to think ahead to Valentine's Day! I took advantage of some great sales on Black Friday and added to my collection of Penny Black stamps. This main image is a woodblock stamp called "Joyride". The sun is adapted from a flower included in a transparent set "Mimi's Many Loves", as is the sentiment.

Same stamps,different colors! I like the 70's look!

Hope everyone had wonderful holidays! All that's left is to take down the tree and store everything up in the attic for another year.

Thanks for stopping by!

A Very Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T09:36:00.003-06:00

We had a wonderful visit with Michael, his parents Kim and Jim, and his sister Britany on Christmas Eve! Cooper was a bit shy but he and Michael got along very well! Britany has put her life as an elementary school teacher on hold and since June has been with Michael first at the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland and now in a small apartment on the Hospital grounds. Michael is mastering his prostheses and has amazed his therapists with his rapid progress. Michael is upbeat, very comfortable with his new body, and determined to live life to the fullest. He said he refuses to give the enemy any more of him than they already took! He has gone hunting, sky-diving, competed in a hand cycle marathon and is driving his new truck with hand controls! He has been given a beautiful German Shepherd assist dog named Rocky who will learn to help Michael as needed.

Cooper was bonding with Michael, but didn't have much to do with the rest of the company! He's still learning that the world is a big place filled with people!

Larry and I ended Christmas Eve at the 7:00 pm service at our church where we had the privilege of hearing "O Holy Night" sung by a young lady who is destined for musical greatness! It is the voice God will give me when I get to Heaven some day! As for today, the turkey is in the oven and we will enjoy our Christmas feast, thankful for friends and family and looking forward to the New Year.

Merry Christmas to all of you!

My Grand Newphew, Michael, is Home for Christmas!

2011-12-21T12:41:00.001-06:00

I am happy to share with all of you that may wonder how my grand nephew Michael is doing, that he is home for the holidays in Georgia!! This is a photo of him with a hometown friend taken at the reception held for him at the high school. Michael is doing very well, perfecting his stride on prosthetic legs. It is amazing all that he has accomplished in the six months since losing his legs in Afghanistan.

Michael is an inspiration to any who meet him, including other service people being treated at Bethesda Naval Hospital. His sister, Britany, has put her life on hold and lives with him in a small apartment at the hospital. Michael has been honored by Team EXTREME, a group of extreme athletes that choose a wounded warrior to honor at their various events.

We are to have the privilege of a visit from Michael and his family over the holidays and will break bread together and rejoice in the miracle of his survival and continuing progress. Life is good!

Merry Christmas!!

Cooper

2011-12-18T18:49:00.003-06:00

Here he is, fresh from the groomer's! Sometimes I wonder why we thought an all white dog was a good idea!

Cooper is so much a part of our family! We laugh at his antics (I think he is part cat!) and have fun tossing his "froggie" (Cooper-speak for any one of his toys). He runs like the wind at the park and has successfully kept all bad guys away from our house!

Here's Cooper's formal Christmas photo! He is happily adjusted to his new home with us and has brought so much fun and laughter into our lives!! I have had to lower the housekeeping standards a bit, and have been unsuccessful in teaching Cooper to pick up his toys!

Merry Christmas to all of you!!

Classic Tea Flower

2011-12-15T18:31:00.002-06:00

This Classic Tea Flower stamp is one of the new releases in the Hero Arts 2012 Catalog. I loved it from the instant I first saw it being used by Jennifer McGuire.

I colored the flower with Copics, and over-stamped it with Hero Arts' Envelope Pattern background stamp. The Envelope Pattern softens the white background without my risking disaster by using Distress Inks for that distressed look! I have ruined many an image by poor application of Distress Inks!

I am entering this card in the December Hero Arts Challenge, following one of the sketches provided. The sketch is a simple one, allowing this flower to have center stage!

Hope everyone is on track for finishing their holiday projects. I did my shopping online this year and it's all being shipped as we speak. We don't exchange gifts, but I always end up sending something to each of the adult kids, and always the grandkids!!
We are enjoying temperatures in the high sixties and yesterday the temp reached seventy-one!! Great golfing weather for my DH! I haven't told the Wisconsin and Minnesota kids about our mild weather. Don't want to sound like I'm gloating!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hero Arts & Sizzix Reindeer

2011-12-10T18:53:00.011-06:00

Merry Christmas! I finally took the time to play with my new Hero Arts/Sizzix reindeer set. I wanted bold colors and texture! Love how easy it is to use the die cuts included in this set.

The house is a Hero Arts cling stamp from last year I tried to make it look delicious! Lots of glitter glue on this card which doesn't show up in the photo. Sorry for the tilt; it was so windy outside!

This is the first card I made using the Reinder set by Hero Arts. I had difficulty taking a decent photo using artificial light but when I went to get the card to take it outside for a new photo, I couldn't find it .... anywhere!!

I hope everyone is enjoying the pre-holidays! We have been out of the Christmas spirit since Thursday. Can you say nasty stomach bug? This is a virus that could be used as a secret weapon!!

Cooper thinks the ornaments on our tree are for his eating enjoyment. I really think he is part kitten. He's been with us for a little over two months and we cannot remember life without him. He has stolen our hearts for sure! Ornament-eating and all.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Happy Birthday, Virginia!

2011-12-03T19:50:00.002-06:00

My blogging friend and Hero Hostess colleague, Virginia Lu, will soon be celebrating her 50th birthday! This card is to wish her a happy birthday and to let her know that her amazing work makes my heart sing!

Happy 50th, Virginia! I know Dr. John and the kids will make sure you have the perfect birthday. Hugs!!

Winter Scene in Blue

2011-12-02T11:56:00.002-06:00

This image is a Hero Arts stamp called "Winter Scene". I colored it using my new Distress Stains. They are so fun to use!

This is a stamp that was part of a prize package I won from Hero Arts in a Blinkie contest. That large tree is supposed to be standing straight, but the rubber on my stamp has been placed crookedly!! Took me awhile and a few stamped images to finally figure that out!

I see this stamp as being very versatile! Not just for Christmas cards, but masculine cards, too. And changing colors can make it a totally different card.

The change in colors makes this more an Autumn scene. Love those stains! I only bought five, and now I think I need them all. Santa, are you listening?

Thanks for stopping by! Love your comments, too.

Cute and Cuddly

2011-11-30T19:14:00.022-06:00

No, it's not a photo of our new dog, Cooper, but it's the next best thing: snowpeople!

This is a Penny Johnson stamp that has become one of my favorites! I learned today that if your mojo has disappeared, just sit at your desk with the happiest stamps you have, turn on some great background music, pet the dog for a bit and start stamping!! It worked for me! I'm entering into the CAS-ual Fridays sketch challenge that closes tonight!

This is a Penny black stamp called "Snowy", another image that brings a smile every time! He's colored with copics and loaded with Stickles!

Now I have a total of four cards made for Christmas!! Every journey begins with those first steps!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I am thankful for the comments you leave and I am thankful for all of you!

Across the Miles

2011-11-26T13:54:00.006-06:00

I discovered a stamp company that I hadn't known about called Skipping Stone Designs. This set called "Uplifting" caught my eye because of the hot air balloons and the assortment of sentiments that came with the set.

I'm entering this "Across the Miles" card in this week's CAS-ual Fridays challenge to use the posted sketch. I love "sketch" challenges! Half the work of designing a card is done for you.

I paper-pieced the hill, colored the images wtih Copics, used a Die-Namics die to make the clouds and stitched the layers together. I'm not sure this is CAS enough, but it was a fun card to make and it's one I will be sending out.

We had a great Thanksgiving in Atlanta with the grandkids! Cooper went along but unfortunately my granddog Spencer was not in the mood for dog company!! Cooper was mystified as he thought a doggy friend was a great idea!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Joy of the Christmas Season

2011-11-19T12:35:00.002-06:00

Finally inked up one of the clear sets Hero Arts included in my prize package for having their blinkie on my blog. Thanks, Hero Arts!

This card could be made in quantity easily! I am going to experiment with different colors, different embossing powder and maybe even some distress ink backgrounds.

I am trying to wake up my mojo! Hope you are all anticipating a great Thanksgiving with family and friends.

We are off to the Atlanta area for the holiday. It will be Cooper's first visit with the grandchildren and our granddog Spencer! Hope everyone gets along!

Thanks for stopping by!

Penny Black Penguin's Christmas

2011-11-06T16:12:00.002-06:00

So much time has passed since I last stamped and blogged! I have been worried that my stamping urge was gone permanently. My stamping friend, Donna Mikasa said I should start by coloring, as coloring can be so therapeutic.

Well, I tried that yesterday and nothing good happened! Which only worried me more!

This afternoon I checked the Penny Black blog to see what this week's challenge was and decided I would try to make a card using my favorite Penny Black stamp.

Now, to be honest, these penguins are my favorites today; don't know that we have a lifelong commitment going. I love the simplicity of the image and the ease of coloring these cute little guys.

I am hoping that the first card is the hardest and that it marks the start of a rush of creativity.

Thanks for stopping by!

Excuse my Absence!

2011-10-26T19:18:00.000-05:00

It has been awhile since I have posted to my blog! And it has been awhile since I stamped! I am missing my creative outlet and all of you. Hopefully November will bring with it a return to our "normal" routine! I am hopeful that when I put a stamp to ink and paper the magic will happen again! My craft room is too tidy; cobwebs are forming! Please, brain, return to creative mode! Hugs, Judy

Could I please come in now??

2011-09-29T10:38:00.002-05:00

This is our new dog Cooper letting us know he would like to come in, please! He is peeking into the kitchen! Who could resist a look like this??

Cooper believes he is invisible whlle snoozing under our bed!!

Thanks for dropping by! We fly out to Phoenix tomorrow morning. Haven't told Cooper yet! He is staying with my sister and will be well-cared for!

Halloween Cutie

2011-09-28T13:51:00.006-05:00

Just wanted to share my Halloween scrapling made with the Hero Arts Japanese doll. Love her punched witch's hat!

I'm a day late, but I checked on the Lily Pad Cards blog today and discovered that I was one of the Frogging Fantastic Four winners in the latest Kathy's color challenge. This is the card that did it:

Just a note: I will be in Arizona until October 10th and will not be crafting or blogging. We will be visiting my sister in law, Shar, who has been fighting pancreatic cancer this past year. We want to spend some time with her and my husband's brother, remembering the laughs and tears we shared as we RV'd together for years before we settled down, each of us in an "A" state!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Say Hello to Cooper!

2011-09-18T15:27:00.002-05:00

Look who joined our family! This is Cooper, a Bichon-Poodle mix I found on PetFinder.com. I wasn't seriously thinking about adopting; "just looking". We had a white poodle in the early years of our marriage that lived to be 19. Since we were both working we didn't feel it was a good time to get another dog that would be home alone all day. Although I hadn't completely decided to add a dog to our family, one look at his photo and I was hooked!

He was in a rescue-sponsored foster home two hours north of us near Nashville, Tennessee. After a month of applications, references, interviews with other families, hopes up, hopes down, the decision was made yesterday that he belonged in a nice quiet home like ours.

He is very shy right now and wondering what happened to all the other dogs he's used to! He has a sweet personality and once he gets used to us, will be the perfect dog!

He is two years old, house broken and thanks to the rescue organization has all his shots and is neutered. The only thing we didn't like about him was his name: "Omelette"! We think Cooper is a much more dignified name for this dignified little cutie!

Funny how quickly you can fall in love!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Mini-Card

2011-09-17T10:20:00.007-05:00

I'm entering this card in two challenges this week. First:

This week's challenge at CAS-ual Fridays is to make a card no larger than 4"x4". This little card is 3"x5" and I think the smaller size is just right for the little Santa birdies from Penny Black's Winter Wonderland set. The other images are from Hero Arts' Merriest Wishes clear set. That swirly line is going to be quite useful as a branch, a hill, or just a place to hang onto for critters!

I am also entering this card in the "Anything Goes" challenge at Simply Less is More. You can find out how their challenges work by going here.

I love working with a smaller space than the usual A2 card. My friend Donna Mikasa is the queen of the mini-card and has often inspired me to consider using a smaller format. The smaller area really showcases the image!

There's a 90 Minute Scramble over at the Hero Arts blog this afternoon at 1PM Central time. It's always a fun time and you're invited!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lily Pad Sketch Challenge

2011-09-16T16:07:00.005-05:00

This is my entry for the sketch challenge at Lily Pad Cards sponsored by Hero Arts. I rotated the sketch onto its side and used the penguins as one of the "stripes". Love these little guys! This is one of those rare cards that ends up looking like the idea in your head!

You can find all the info about entering the challenge here. The Lily Pad design team has outdone themselves with their incredible use of Hero Arts Christmas stamps. It's worth slogging through the wetlands and bog to get to the pond just to see the inspiration cards!

Thanks for stopping by!

Penny Black Color Challenge

2011-09-15T20:47:00.002-05:00

I used the Penny Black stamp "About Town" for the main image of this card. The sentiment is from Hero Arts and I don't remember where I got that set of stamps with the different stitch patterns!

Last Spring I used this image for a graduation card, giving Mimi a mortarboard for the occasion. It seemed fitting to provide her with a with's hat for Halloween.

I've entered this card in Penny Black's challenge this week to use the trio of colors of green, purple and cream.

I love the way this turned out. It made me smilel ... big!

Our weather has turned fall-like. It is in the 60's today. Great sleeping weather tonight!

Thanks for stopping by!

Penny Black Simple Card

2011-09-14T00:53:00.002-05:00

I love this little row of birds on a branch from the Penny Black clear set "Enjoy LIfe". What a great message! Sometimes we get so busy doing, we forget that being is ok, too! So, Enjoy Life it is!!

Love that row of stamped on stitching! It's from a set I've had for awhile that has no label!

Our temperatures have moderated and I've noticed the days are shorter. Fall must be on its way!

Enjoy these little birds and most of all, enjoy life!!

Thanks for stopping by!

2011-09-09T07:00:00.005-05:00

Greetings to all of my wonderful and loyal Tiffany Doodles fans out there! I can't believe the summer is just about over, seems like it only just started! I for one am really looking forward to some falling leaves and cooler temperatures.

Today we are kicking off a 3 day Blog Hop! You will find inspiration along every stop! And of course, I have tons of prizes in store for you! Be sure to participate everyday by commenting on each post & following every blog to be eligible for all prizes.

The hop continues tomorrow starting at Tiffany Doodles! In order to qualify for all prizes you must:

participate everyday
comment on every participants post
follow every participants blog
Special Note: Make sure that your Blog and Email are listed in your Blogger profile for notification purposes. If your email is not visible on your profile make sure it is easy to find on your blog. Thanks!

While your hopping keep in mind the SALE we are having this weekend at the store!! All Bird and Flower Digital stamps are on sale for 25% off! No coupon necessary, discount will be taken at the register. Your welcome! =) PS. Even more sales listed below!

By participating daily in our Blog Hop you will be eligible for prizes! Lots of prizes! Total Prizes valued at OVER $220!! All winners will be chosen randomly. Everyday we will chose 3 winners. Chosen from the main TD blog. Your participation on the other blogs will be verified prior to announcement. If you have won you will be notified by email, so make sure you email is easy to find either in your comment, your blogger profile, or on your blog. All winners will be announced on the blog after the hop is over. Prizes will be awarded as follows:

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
3 winners *	3 winners *	3 winners *
* $10 Shopping Spree * 50 Doodle Soup Reward Points * Fall Leaves (png) Elements Pack for each winner

Even if you don't win on 1 of the 3 days - you still have a chance to win the Grand Prize!! The Grand Prize will be chosen randomly from the main TD blog from all participants from everyday.

	Grand Prize
	1 winner *
* Level 5 Membership * $25 Shopping Spree * Fall Leaves (png) Elements Pack

On today's Hop we are featuring cards made with a lovely sketch made by Jenyfur at Torn Paper! And of course, all stamps throughout the blog hop are featured by Tiffany Doodles!

There are 2 ways to earn extra entries!!

1) You can earn extra entries for today's prize if you make a card with this sketch!

If you would like too, link your card through inlinkz on the main blog post.

Enter as many times as you wish! One entry per card submitted.

2) If your not up for making a card, you can write your own post

about our Blog Hop & Tiffany Doodles Digi stamps!

If you post about us you can earn 5 extra entries!!

Also submit your post to the inlinkz below!

Now that all the rules and explanations are taken care of, here is my interpretation of Jennyfur's sketch. I used the Tiffany Doodles digi image "Birthday Chick". The fun part of digi's is manipulating them; change the size, rotate them, make a mirror image ... whatever it takes to creat what you have in mind. Looks like there's going to be a party!!

I colored the chicks with copics, added some ball fringe for fun and used happy patterned paper! Thanks for taking part in the hop! Your next stop is Jessica. I'm hopping there now! Be sure to take part in tomorrow's hop, too, to be eligible for the great prizes!

September Sales

Besides the Blog Hop sale we have going on,
we are also having 2 other sales in the store!

Design Team Member Call

We currently need someone who can make TD digis into Cut files!
~~Video Tutor Details Here.~~ Position has been filled. Thanks.
Cut File Maker Details Here.

Banner Spots Available

Tiffany Doodles blog gets an average of 5,000 to 7,000 visitors per month!

Would you like to get in on that action? Now accepting banner spots for the blog!

Click here for pricing info!

Here are your blog hop links for today, Day 1....

We will see you again tomorrow starting at Tiffany Doodles! I can't wait to show you the beautiful cards we have in store for you!

September Challenge Tiffany Doodles

2011-09-07T07:00:00.003-05:00

Iit's the 7th of September and that means there is a new challenge at the Tiffany Doodles blog! The theme this month is "stitching".

This card was inspired by my blog friend Lin who quilts as well as doing wonderful things with paper piecing!

I cut squares of patterned paper and then cut them on the diagonal to make the "quilt" pieces and stitched them all back together on the sewing machine. The butterfly is a digi image from Tiffany Doodles and is part of a set called "Sweet Love". I printed the image out on one of the patterned papers I used for the background. Love his multi-colored look!

You don't have to use a Tiffany Doodles digi to enter the challenge, but she's got lots of freebie images available along with tutorials ranging from beginner on up! There are so many reasons to add digital images to your card making and scrapbooking. You can make them any size you want and you can have them delivered to your email within minutes!!

The challenge lasts for two weeks and the winner will enjoy a $10 shopping trip to Tiffany Doodles store. Check out the September sales while you're checking out the digi's!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Gone Campin'!

2011-09-03T19:57:00.038-05:00

It was love at first sight when I spotted this Gone Campin' set by Market Street Stamps! Reminded me of all the years we took the kids camping. Even the mosquito brought back memories! I paper pieced the little camping trailer and colored the other images with copics. I put some pearls in the sky; and a little button hubcap on the camper.

Here's another card I made using the Goin' Camping set. I will be entering this in the Lily Pad Cards color challenge, using moss, blush and cantaloupe color palette. The die cut is my new Nestie that I pre-ordered so long ago that I forgot about it. It's called Tear Drop Circles and I know I will be using it a lot!

We are having a lazy holiday weekend. No special plans, lots of doing what we feel like if we feel like it! Thanks for stopping by!

Thank you from Sally in England

2011-09-01T15:41:00.002-05:00

Sally in England needed a stamp with a "lavender" image. She wanted to make lavender sachets. Judy in Alabama had a stamp like that, never used! Judy sent Sally the stamp. Sally sent Judy this lovely Thank You card and a lavender sachet.

Judy loves the aroma!! Feels good that an unloved stamp has found a good home.
Thanks for stopping by!

Hero Arts ATC Swap Summer 2011

2011-09-01T03:46:00.004-05:00

Recently, I had the privilege of hosting an ATC swap on the Hero Arts blog. Thirteen paper artists participated and these are the ATC's we traded.

Artist's Trading Cards are a great way to share your talents with others. In a space about the size of a credit card, you can let your creative spirit loose! I am amazed at the variety and beauty of these mini works of art.

Currently we are in the process of making and trading ATC's with a Christmas theme. It is a pleasure to be connected with friends by way of art!

Thanks for stopping by!

Back to School Tiffany Doodles

2011-08-26T19:18:00.006-05:00

This is the Back to School digi set released at Tiffany Doodles today! Besides the school house image, the set includes 7 other digi images to create a great back to school card!

I colored the image in Paint Shop Pro and over-colored it with Copics. Of course, I used Hero Arts' Envelope Pattern stamp to add texture to the school house!

Be sure to visit Tiffany Doodles' store! Thanks for stopping by!

90 Minute Scramble this Sunday!

2011-08-24T21:28:00.002-05:00

This is the prize package I've put together for the winner of the 90 minute scramble I am hosting on the Hero Arts blog. The Scramble starts at 1:00 pm Central time. Hero Arts is offering a digi kit as a prize to the second winner.

You will have 90 minutes to design, create and upload your card following the theme and rules posted when the Scramble starts. It is good fun and the more who Scramble, the merrier!

Hope to see you there, and thanks for stopping by.

CAS-ual Friday Embossing Challenge

2011-08-21T19:53:00.003-05:00

I've had so much fun stamping today I thought I would enter the CAS-ual Friday challenge; embossing. I dry embossed the background with a Cuttlebug folder; the turtle's shell was stamped in white on pp and clear embossed. I love this set by Jane's Doodles: Garden Friends. The clouds are from Die-Namics and the little bird is from an Inky Antics turtle set. I love clean and simple and don't always "get it"!

Here's the information about the challenge. You have until Wednesday to enter.

Angel Mimi Penny Black

2011-08-21T16:09:00.003-05:00

I haven't entered a challenge lately at the Penny Black blog, so this week I set aside time to make a card using red, gold and cream.

I used the Christmas Mimi set for the angel and the background is called Delicate Pattern. The card is a 4.5 inch square, thanks to the influence of that amazing artist Donna MiKasa!

I haven't been in the mood to make Christmas cards this month, but the color challenge at the Penny Black blog triggered a Christmas card idea.

In June I shared with you the story of my great-nephew's injuries suffered in Afghanistan. He lost both legs as the result of an IED explosion. I am pleased to report that Michael has been discharged from the Bethesda Naval Hospital this week and will continue with outpatient therapy. He has been practicing with prosthetic legs for almost two weeks and is making progress. Because his amputations are above the knee, walking with prosthetics demands increased energy use and a whole new set of skills!

Michael is now settled into a small apartment on the grounds of the Hospital. His parents have returned to their jobs and life in Georgia. His sister, Britany, is now sharing the apartment with Michael and will assist him as needed during this year of rehabilitation. They are an amazing family! Their positive outlook and deep-seated faith have inspired all who came in contact with them.

I have had a relaxing Sunday and hope you have had time to do things you enjoy today. Thanks for stopping by!!

Tiffany Doodles Shade Trees

2011-08-18T06:27:00.003-05:00

Tiffany Doodles is releasing a set of three tree images today. This is the third image in the set. I paper pieced the tree, gave it a little hill to grow into and added green fringe for grass.

The paper piecing was fun, once I had selected the papers to use! That was a lengthy trial and error process! Trees are an image easily used for many types of cards. They can be elegant for serious occasions or used as fun images for birthdays or friendship.

Browse Tiffany's digital image shop here. Buying digi images is simple; downloading them is easy; and delivery is almost immediate! No shipping charges, either.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Go Big or Go Home!

2011-08-13T21:08:00.002-05:00

This butterfly is one of several included in a Hero Arts Printable called Fllutterbies. I pulled out my Distress Inks to color the largest image on the page. After cutting it out, I mounted it with pop dots on a card base I made using Hero Arts Background Silhouette.

It took quite awhile (all afternoon?) to come up with the proper resting spot for this big guy!

I have, once again, caught a cold from the babies at daycare! It was a good excuse to take it easy. Read an entire Elizabeth Berg book, did some stamping and watched some TV. Our satellite TV company just added the National Geographic channel and I found some interesting shows!

Hope you are having a good weekend! They go by so quickly. I appreciate your stopping by!

Tiffany Doodles Dragonflys and Cattails

2011-08-12T16:48:00.028-05:00

This set, Dragonflys and Cattails is the new release available today at Tiffany Doodles. In order to showcase the dragonflys, I used a piece of vellum to soften the cattails image and pop dotted the flying beauties on the vellum.

For one week, you can purchase this set at a 10% discount in Tiffany's store.

I know I mention this each time Tiffany introduces a new digital image, but I hope if you have never tried creating with a digital image you will try this week! Digital images are another opportunity to be creative. They can be re-sized, reproduced multiple times and manipulated in ways that a stamped image cannot. I use Paint Shop Pro to work with digi's, others use Photo Shop or Microsoft Word. Tiffany has tutorials on her site that can help you get started!

So glad you stopped by today!

Tiffany Doodles August Challenge

2011-08-07T16:37:00.010-05:00

It's the 7th of the month and time for the August challenge at Tiffany Doodles! The challenge this month is to make a card using kraft.

I love these little birdies from Tiffany Doodles and I paired them up with a sticker added to the Tiffany Doodles "Tag" image.

I'm so happy I broke down and bought the reverse wonky rectangle dies from nestabilities! I've used this shape a lot!

Be sure to enter the challenge at Tiffany Doodles! If you haven't tried digi's, there are freebies available ... and I know you have kraft paper!!

And look what else is happening at Tiffany's:

Not one sale, but TWO!!

Thanks for stopping by!

What obstacle did you have to overcome today?

2011-08-07T16:05:00.012-05:00

For those of you who are familiar with the story of my great-nephew Michael, this photo should make you smile! Wouldn't it make a great Nike commercial? "Just do it!"

Michael will start preparing for his prosthetic legs this week by using very short legs to begin with ... just a few inches off the ground. He was told by his therapists to buy some new shoes ... and he did! Michael's mother was the hero as she took her wheelchair bound son on the D.C. metro to first one shopping mall (which did not have a shoe store!) then another in order to buy shoes.

I chuckle when I think of that shoe salesperson asking Michael what size shoes he needed!! Michael asked for a size 10 1/2 and bought three pairs!

Michael is an inspiration to his family, his Marine brothers and the other wounded warriors at Bethesda. His injury occurred on June 17th and next week he will begin working with prosthetics!

His attitude is beyond amazing! He is a very special young man who is dealing with his injuries and moving on with what he needs to do! I realize I have nothing to complain about and nothing I have to do is as difficult as the challenge ahead of Michael.

Have a great week and thanks for stopping by!

Lily Pad Cards Inspiration Challenge

2011-07-31T15:49:00.007-05:00

This morning I watched Vicky's Sunday video on the Lily Pad Cards blog as she used Penny Black stamps and Distress Stains by Tim Holtz. I don't own any of the stains (yet!) so I made my version of her card using Distress Inks and Penny Black's "Mixed Media" stamp. I also stamped the PB background stamp "Decorative Pattern" on the mocha cardstock. I am entering this card in Lily Pad Cards Inspiration Challenge Number 4, as it was most certainly inspired by Vicky! Here's her card:

Today has been a perfect day to stay indoors out of the heat! I am grateful for the blessing of air conditioning.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wisconsin Lake Home

2011-07-24T12:16:00.003-05:00

This is a photo of the Lake Home so generously lent to our family so that we could spend a weekend together!

I'm sharing this photo of the bathroom so you can see a bit of the work Tim did when adding a master suite to the home. My favorite part was the fun faucets! We felt like we were in a 5 star hotel!

This lovely home was previously a very modest cottage. It has been lovingly and skillfully redone and added onto by a high school friend of my oldest son.

The home is located on Lake Wisconsin, a few miles from the town of Prairie du Sac where I raised my family. The owner of the home, Tim was my son Todd's best friend. As a junior in high school he was well over 6 feet tall. He hung out at our house a LOT! Loved him like one of my own, but just like one of my own, he was a hungry teenager. The scariest part was that he loved milk and drank a lot of it at my house! At the time, I was a single mom with five kids and milk was precious! I never said a word at the time, but over the years have reminded him about the milk!!

Well, when he heard that we were coming to Wisconsin to visit and were making hotel reservations, he offered his lovely lake home! I think he used the word "cottage". While the home is lovely, the real beauty of it is the work Tim did to turn it into such a beautiful place. The home is filled with details that catch your eye and delight your spirit!

His lovely wife Marie had prepared food for our breakfasts and they both hosted a Saturday evening cookout with more high school friends invited. We sat around the fire pit (in 90 degree weather!) and talked about the kids' high school days. It was a feast for my spirit!!

We have been invited to return annually for our family's get togethers! What a kind and generous couple Tim and Marie are. They were genuinely delighted to share their beautiful vacation home! Tim said he owed me because of all the milk he drank at our house!

I hope your life is blessed with the love of friends of family! Our trip to Wisconsin reminded me how blessed I am! Thanks for stopping by.

How I Almost Didn't Buy Any New Stamps!

2011-07-23T15:09:00.022-05:00

One of the first stops after arriving in Wisconsin was the Archiver's store in Middleton, Wisconsin (adjacent to Madison, Wisconsin). I promised myself I would not buy any stamps; just paper pads, Hero Hues, and maybe a few embellishments. Oh, yes, and white pens!

I enjoyed browsing and gathering, mostly paper pads, Hero Hues paper, a few supplies, white pens and a few specialty papers. I kept within my $100 budget and was rather pleased.

As I approached the check out with my stampless basket, a saleslady asked me if I had seen the new Inky Antics HoneyPop sets. Well, it was love at first sight!

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The set includes a stamp that is the pattern to cut the honeycomb paper (not included, costs extra!). Since my granddaughter's favorite decorating idea is monkeys, I could not say no! I also purchased the Turtle set! I love the surprise inside the card! Inky Antics also has an elephant and lion set (which I did not buy, thank you very much!) Needless to say, I was no longer within my budget!

Thankfully, I had checked out before my DH finished his 9 holes of golf! Ahhh, it is a good thing I have a part time job!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Tiffany Doodles Clown Fish

2011-07-20T18:40:00.005-05:00

This nifty clown fish doodle by Tiffany went on sale in her shop on the 15th of July, while I was out of town. The set also includes a "Happy Birthday" sentiment.

I printed this image out on super smooth Copic paper, but colored it with PrismaColor pencils and Gamsol. Honestly, the colors almost slid off the paper! Fun!!

Be sure to check out Tiffany's shop! There are so many cool images!! This month's challenge is "All creatures great and small" and this image would make a great challenge card.

We returned from Wisconsin today. We were on the road at 4:00 a.m. My husband loves driving in those early morning hours. And since he does the driving, I go when he wants to go! Had an incredible visit with friends and family! Will post photos over the weekend.

Thanks for stopping by!

Tiffany Doodles New Pickle Image!

2011-07-14T18:48:00.007-05:00

This adorable digi Pickle Set goes on sale at Tiffany Doodles store tomorrow, June 15th! The set includes these two images and a sentiment. Hint: it's lots of fun to dream up a sentiment using the pickles! "Has your day been a dilly?" "Sorry to hear you've got yourself in a pickle!" See what I mean?

I am posting this from a Drury Inn in Champaigne, Ilinois. Enjoyed their Happy Hour and hot tub so far! Tomorrow we head to Wisconsin. My sweet DH stopped at the very large JoAnne's in Nashville this morning and I stocked up on consumable supplies at 40% off! I was given 15 minutes, but stretched that to 30!! (We are travelling, after all!)

Be sure to check out Tiffany's shop. I would love to see more pickle cards!

Thanks for stopping by!

Summer Card Camp with Penny Black

2011-07-13T13:04:00.003-05:00

This is my new Penny Black stamp "Cheerful". I really am pleased with it as the focal point of the card using this week's color combo at Summer Card Camp! As much as I didn't want to re-thread my sewing machine or wind a bobbin, I really wanted the red stitching! I know I will be using this flower a lot!

Tomorrow we are off to Wisconsin for a week . It will be nutrition for my spirit to see the kids, siblings, grandkids and old friends and co-workers. We will eat at our favorite little hang-outs, shop at Archivers, and maybe another store or two. The goal is to fill our heads with memories to last until the next trip "home".

Thanks for stopping by!

Betsy Bluebell by Penny Black

2011-07-10T17:07:00.002-05:00

Now that I think of it, if the stamp set is called "Betsy Bluebell" there probably should have been some blue coloring going on! But I love these sunny bright colors for summer. I made this card to thank the Penny Black blog people for spotlighting one of my cards on the PB blog today! And they are sending me a "Slapstick" stamp of my choice! They made my day!

It's a rainy Sunday in Huntsville! I have begun the task of packing for a week's vacation in Wisconsin. I will unpack and repack at least twice before we leave! My husband will spend 20 minutes putting things in a suitcase!

So, until next time, thanks for stopping by!!

Tiffany Doodles Sweet Butterfly

2011-07-08T13:47:00.007-05:00

Aren't these beautiful butterflies? This is a Tiffany Doodles set called "Sweet Butterfly" and it is available for the first time today in her shop. The set includes the two butterflyl images and a sentiment!

These images were a joy to color! I used Copics and while it appears to be only two colors on the butterflies, I was amazed at the pile of Copics on my desk when I was done!

Have a great weekend! Hope these gorgeous butterflies will prompt you to go digi!
Thanks for stopping by!

Tiffany Doodles July Challenge

2011-07-07T06:00:00.054-05:00

It's the 7th of the month and the Tiffany Doodles' July challenge starts today! The theme is "All Creatures Great and Small". The challenge runs for two weeks.

My entry features Tiffany's digi image "Ducky".

The ducky image was fun and simple to color. I created a sea of blue gingham for the duckies swimming pleasure!

Check out the Tiffany Doodles blog for the details. If you are not familiar with how to use digital images, the blog has a tab to click on that takes you to a tutorial. Easy Peasy!!

Hope your day is ducky! Thanks for stopping by.

Garden Friends by Jane's Doodles

2011-07-06T13:45:00.007-05:00

I've used the colors for the second week at Stamp Camp and my new favorite stamp set Garden Friends by Jane's Doodles. The die cuts are my new Reverse Wonky Rectangles by Nestabilities, so I would say (or sing) "These are a few of my favorite things"...

I am saddened to report I have already misplaced the tiny little bee stamp that is part of this set! Where could it "bee" gone? Some day I am going to happily discover all the missing clear stamps and socks that have mysteriously disappeared!

A thunderstorm just rolled in! A very good excuse to be indoors, playing with new toys!

Thanks for stopping by!

Week 2: Summer Stamp Camp

2011-07-04T22:44:00.010-05:00

These are the colors we are challenged to work with this week. Many of us expressed appreciation that the color green was included! Love these cheerful summer colors!

The flower is Penny Black's "Sparkle". I stamped the image using Rusty Hinge Distress Ink and over-colored it with Copic markers, using shades of pink. Kathy Racoosin used this image on her blog and demo'd outlining the image with a Copic multi-liner. I like that look, so I outlined my flower, too. This stamp includes "built-in" shading, which makes using black ink to stamp difficult! It worked much better using distress ink. I am entering this card in the challenge at Penny Black this week which is "circles".

I am up late tonight because my neighbors are ignoring city ordinances, safety rules and common sense and are shooting off fireworks in their driveway! It is scary because little children are involved! My windows are literally rattling!

We had a quiet holiday. Took in a movie: Paris at Midnight. Enjoyed it! I went to the mall today and it was deserted! I must have been the only person who had no holiday plans!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamp Camp Color Combo #5

2011-07-02T15:22:00.018-05:00

When my new stamp set from Jane's Doodles arrived today (Garden Pals), I knew I had to use one of the extra color combos included in Friday's Stamp Camp lesson. I chose combo #5 to make this card.

I first saw this set on Jane's blog "Plain Jane" and I was in love! Then I saw the set being used by Kelly Booth and could resist no more!! I copied the color pattern Jane used to color the turtle. I cut the notecard in half so that the turtle could be the focus of the card. I tried to incorporate Stamp Camp's lesson on balance and I believe this is "symmetrical balance".

I am going to love playing with the rest of this set! Thanks, Kelly, for the enabling!! And thanks, Jane for the darling images!

And thank you for stopping by on this holiday weekend.

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge "Krafts-Men"

2011-07-01T19:37:00.000-05:00

The challenge this week at CAS-ual Fridays is to make a masculine card, using kraft paper. I used this golf cart image from Tiffany Doodles printed on kraft paper. Colored with Prismacolr pencils and added buttons for the wheels. The golf cart is over-stamped with Hero Arts' Envelope Pattern and the base card is subtly stamped with the Hero Arts Cloud background stamp. I like the background stamping for texture. The sentiment is computer generated and the diecut is a Nesties.

CAS-ual Fridays is all about clean and simple. You can join in the fun here

This is the weekend of the 4th of July. This year, especially, let's remember all those who have given so much in order that our country can be "the land of the free". I appreciate your stopping by!

Color Challenge Stamp Camp

2011-06-30T20:12:00.002-05:00

This is the second posting for today because I wanted to make a card using this week's color challenge using this Penny Black "About Town" stamp. I just love her little Bug with the button wheels! Using this color combo does not come naturally, but it has taught me a lot about color and balance! The order these colors appear in the image makes a difference!

Thanks for stopping by .... again!!

Summer Card Camp 2011 Challenge

2011-06-30T15:19:00.006-05:00

This is the second card I made for the color challenge at Stamp Camp. The design is inspired by Jennifer McGuire's card on her video. The sentiment is stamped on acetate and the white behind it is the inside of the card. I spent more than an hour trying to get a good photo of that acetate window, but this is the best I could do! I used my new Nestie "Reverse Wonkers" for the cutout. I did learn a lot making this card! Love the little frame around the cutout.

Thanks for stopping by. Gotta get ready for the sing-a-long at camp! Hoping for S'Mores!

Summer Card Camp 2011

2011-06-29T15:09:00.016-05:00

I signed up for camp today! Couldn't stand having my friends go off to camp without me. I arrived on the late bus, so got an upper bunk and late supper!

The image is a digi called "Roses" by Michelle Houghton and was included in my class fee for "Copic Coloring 1". The challenge is a color challenge with four colors and white. An additional neutral is allowed, so I added a touch of black.

I'm excited about Summer Camp! Thanks for stopping by!

Honor Valor Sacrifice

2011-06-28T21:31:00.002-05:00

This is my nephew's son, Michael, sitting for the first time since being injured June 12th in Afghanistan. He has just been presented with the Purple Heart medal in recognition of Honor, Valor and Sacrifice during service to his country. The Commandant of the Marine Corps presented his medal at Bethesda Naval Hospital.

I have no words to describe how I feel about and toward this incredible young man!

Please pray for him and the others like him who are working their way back to good health. Please include the hospital personnel who work with these young people day and night and support their efforts to recover.

Lily Pad Cards and a Chance to Win Hero Arts Stamps

2011-06-28T18:51:00.001-05:00

I became a Member of Lily Pad Cards today! Go become a member for a chance to win a collection of Hero Arts stamps. Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, July 15! Just hop over to the Lily Pad Cards blog and become a friend. Who doesn't love free stamps?

And don't mind the blue frog - he's friendly underneath all the chatter!

Here's the card I made for the June challenge at Hero Arts:

It isn't easy photographing white on white! Thanks for stopping by!

Penny Black Challenge: Insides

2011-06-27T15:12:00.006-05:00

The challenge right now at the Penny Black blog is "Insides" as inside your card! I am so guilty of waiting until I send out a card to finish up the inside! Here's the card I made and a photo of the inside:

I don't own many Penny Black stamps, but love the ones I have. I used a new technique demo'd on a video this morning by Nicole of Paper Trey Ink. She calls it Polaroid 2-Step Masking. You can see her video here.http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2011/06/make-it-monday-21-polaroid-2-step-masking.html

I'm mostly pleased with the result, but next time I would make the white ink "frame" narrower and those white dots are bugging me!

Homemade soup for supper tonight! Smells good at my house. Hope your Monday was a good day!! Thanks for stopping by.

A Day for Daisies Challenge 21

2011-06-26T21:14:00.003-05:00

This adorable image was created by Tammy at A Day for Daisies to be used in their challenge "Pastels but no Pink". I couldn't resist the image and am entering this card in their challenge. If you would like to take part, and also have this image for yourself, you can find the details here.http://adayfordaisies.blogspot.com/2011/06/new-release-tiny-ones-challenge-21.html

Sorry about the disaster above, the Link funtion is mal-functioning! I will try again tomorrow to clean that up!

Thanks for stopping by!! Hope your week is off to a good start tomorrow!

Tiffany Doodles Petal Bloom with Blossom

2011-06-26T10:20:00.002-05:00

Coloring is so relaxing!! Since I am freed from most household chores for a couple of weeks, I am spending time doing what I love to do - creating! I love this Tiffany Doodles flower! And if I had that Blossom set of Nesties, I could have cut out this image! I colored in the background and the olive green Blossom border in Paint Shop Pro; then colored the main image with Copics.

Hope you are having a Sunday worthy of its name!! When I think of Sundays as I child, I think of the traditional Sunday dinners my Mom always made: chicken or pot roast usually. We didn't own a grill; always ate at the dining room table with a tablecloth on it!

Nowadays, we are as likely to have a casual meal cooked on the grill outdoors as we are to have the traditional Sunday dinner!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Tiffany Doodles Clover Flower

2011-06-25T14:54:00.002-05:00

Tiffany inventoried her images and produced a list of those without a sample card. This is one of the images I chose to make a card to be used as a sample. I love simple images like this. I cut a notecard in half to make this card so that the flower could be the main focus. The sentiment and gems are Hero Arts.

Tiffany adds new digi's quite often; stop by her store and check them out! If you haven't done digi yet, Tiffany has great tutorials on her blog.

On a personal note, my surgery-caused black eye is creeping down my face! I made a quick trip to the grocery store and was afraid someone would hand me a card wtih the domestic abuse hotline number!! Other than very dry eyes (ouch!) I am doing well.

Thanks for stopping by.

Update on Michael

2011-06-23T20:21:00.000-05:00

Thank you to all those who are praying for my nephew's son, Michael, who is in the Naval Hospital at Bethesda for treatment of the wounds he suffered while serving in the Marines in Afghanistan. We rejoiced this morning to learn he was no longer in the ICU and had been transferred to the surgery floor. However, Michael has been spiking a fever as high as 104 and after surgery to further clean his wounds experienced an elevated heart rate.

The physicians treating Michael have reached the decision that it is necessary to amputate Michael's legs to above the knee. The infection is too bad and there is not enough tissue to close his wounds.

Please pray for Michael's family as they struggle to accept this latest news. It will certainly mean a more difficult rehab and recovery. Please pray that this is the end of the infection and the beginning of healing.

Thank you.

Family Reunion

2011-06-22T08:20:00.005-05:00

Some of you know that my nephew's son, Michael, was wounded in Afghanistan by an IED explosion. He spent a week in Germany and on Sunday arrived at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. My nephew and his wife and daughter were reunited with him on Monday. They posted this photo on their Caring Bridge website this morning. Michael is in ICU dealing with an infection. The family is grateful for the wonderful care Michael is receiving and for the prayers being offered for his recovery.

The photo shows my nephew Jim (Michael's dad) standing on the left, his wife Kim with the lovely red hair and his sister Britany. What appears to be a block of cheese on his left arm is actually a device to protect that wounded hand. His Wisconsin relatives choose to believe he is paying tribute to his "Cheesehead" relatives!

Thanks for stopping by! Check out yesterday's post to see a new Tiffany Doodles image!

Tiffany Doodles Flower in a Vase

2011-06-21T18:31:00.005-05:00

No, Vincent van Gogh has not dropped by! This is the new Flower in a Vase digi image from Tiffany Doodles. It will be available in her store on Friday. The image is of one flower in a vase, but I felt it needed another flower! I paper pieced the vase, matted it and mounted it on My Mind's Eye patterned paper.

Be sure to stop by the Tiffany Doodles store on Friday and see the rest of the new releases.

Thanks for stopping by!

Tiffany Doodles Goldfish

2011-06-18T08:39:00.002-05:00

Another new release by Tiffany Doodles! Isn't this a fun image? Take a minute to visit Tiffany's store and see more summer releases.

I used patterned papers and some stitching on a shaped card to make this fella a "bowl". He was super fun to color with Copics.

It's the day after my eye surgery and I have set aside the ice pack to post this. I'm a bit sore and look frightful, but it went well and I expect a good outcome!

If you are following my great-nephew's progress, he was uanable to make Friday's flight to the U.S. due to some instability. Hopefully, he will be on Sunday's flight.

Thanks for stopping by! I am off to cuddle my ice pack!

Color Challenge Lily Pad

2011-06-15T19:44:00.002-05:00

I saw a tutorial by one of the artists at Paper Trey Ink showing how to make this background. It is made up of "stripes" of Copic color, using markers! Isn't that easy peasy? The peacock is from a set I bought at Archiver's at least two years ago and have never inked up! I entered this into Kathy's color challenge over at the Lily Pad

I am eager to use this background technique again, using an image stamped in black. I have just received my order of Copic Marker refills (and I had to tuck in a few new colos!). So now I am never going to be able to quit my daycare job!

And a note about Michael: He is safely in Germany, has already undergone some surgery, especially to ensure his wounds are cleaned (IED's are filthy!) He has been able to call his parents and although under the influence of pain medication, carried on a reasonable conversation, offering them comfort! He will arrive in Bethesday Friday evening and his parents hope to fly out on Saturday to be with him.

I was glad to learn the military takes good care of these families! Transportation costs are paid for for up to three people the patient wishes to have nearby.

I will be absent from blogging for about two weeks as I have some eye surgery scheduled for Friday and cannot bend forward for two weeks afterward! I also cannot lift anything more than 5 lbs., so there goes cooking, vacuuming, changing bed linens, scrubbing of any kind ... I may manage laundry!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

This is Michael

2011-06-14T17:08:00.000-05:00

This photo accompanied an article in his home newspaper and I thought you might like to put a face to the young man you are kindly praying for. We still have no further news; just waiting!

His parents have expressed their gratitude that Michael has survived and are looking forward to being with him when he arrives at Bethesda.

Tiffany Doodles Apple Bowl

2011-06-13T19:40:00.002-05:00

This is one of Tiffany's Doodles that presented a real challenge for me. Reds are not easy for me to color and round shapes are another difficulty for me! But there is hope; I have signed up for an online Copic coloring class that will begin tomorrow! These are some of the things I will learn how to handle!

In the meantime, this is the best I could do with this lovely bowl of apples!

Thank you for keeping our family, especially Michael in your prayers. We have no further information; assuming he is in Germany with plans to fly him to Bethesda soon. We have learned the military will pay for three family members to fly to Bethesda, so his Mom, Dad and sister will be there with him for awhile.

There is an ironnic twist to this story; Michael's best friend from high school who enlisted in the Marines with him suffered the same loss of legs two months ago and is currently at Bethesda. The two good friends will go through rehab together. They will have each other when they return home to their small community if Georgis.

Thank you again. I'm glad you stopped by.

No card today ...

2011-06-12T09:21:00.001-05:00

Just some sad news. My sister's grandson (my nephew's son) who is a young Marine serving his second deployment in Afghanistan was badly injured by an IED last night. He has lost both his legs, and possibly his left hand. He is an incredibly handsome young man with the most beautiful eyes ever. I am having great difficulty comprehending how much his life has changed. Please keep Michael's family in your prayers as he is being transferred to Germany, then on to Bethesda for treatment.

Tiffany Doodles Puppy

2011-06-11T10:35:00.002-05:00

Don't you love this little puppy? Another Tiffany Doodles digi. I searched Tiffany's store for images that had no sample card and this little guy showed up! I love how he looks like he could jump off the page and play with that ball (Hero Arts). I used the Envelope Pattern stamp from Hero Arts to add texture and soften the all-white background of the puppy.

We have a 50th wedding anniversary dinner to attend this evening. It is a true love story! The "bride" has had multiple sclerosis for over twenty years and for the last ten has been totally paralyzed from the neck down! The "groom" provides total care with occasional visits from a nurse.

They are an example to me of what love and promises are all about! It will be an honor to celebrate with them!

Thanks for stopping by!

New Releases at Tiffany Doodles Today!

2011-06-10T14:35:00.000-05:00

This is the new golf digi set available at Tiffany Doodles today! This digi is going to make it easier to create masculine cards and is just in time for Father's Day.

Here are two cards I made with this set, all ready for the golfer in our house!

This fishing set is also available today! No more excuses for not making a great Father's Day (or birthday) card for the men in your life!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lily Pad Inspiration Challenge

2011-06-09T22:40:00.005-05:00

I love the new Lily Pad Cards blog and this card is for the Inspiration Challenge that closes in about one hour! I was out having a brithday dinner with my bridge club and so I got started very late on this project!

I was inspired by the color palette for the May CCC that Deborah Nolan created and administrates over at the Lily Pad.

I thought this Echinacea digi was perfect for a Get Well card!!

Hope you had a great day and thanks for stopping by!!

Camelia by Tiffany Doodles

2011-06-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Well, the announcement was made yesterday by Tiffany of Tiffany Doodles; I am officially a member of her Design Team! I am still pinching myself to make sure it's real!! I love her digi images and am thrilled to be part of her team.

Tiffany has many truly lovely floral images. This is the camelia. I have to admit I had to Google "camelia" to see how to color it. This is colored with Copics, mounted on pp and stitched to cardstock. Love how this turned out!

Stop by the Tiffany Doodles store and browse the latest summer digi's. There's a sale! And I hope you will take part in the "Jump Into Summer" challenge which runs for two weeks, starting today! It doesn't require the use of a Tiffany digi, any digi will do!

Steppin' Into Summer at Tiffany Doodles

2011-06-07T07:00:00.017-05:00

It's June 7th and that means it's the start of a new challenge at Tiffany Doodles! This month's theme is Steppin' Into Summer. Many parts of the country are finally enjoying some summer temperatures and the rush to do summer stuff has begun!

My card for the challenge features Tiffany's new Freebie crab; looks like he's stepped into summer big time!

I re-sized the crab image and colored him with Copics and cut him out and placed him in the "frame" I created using patterned papers and kraft card stock. The sentiment is from Hero Arts and I thought the crab's open-clawed pose invited a hug! Looks like he's sporting quite a sunburn, too.

This freebie crab is available at Tiffany's store here. You don't have to use a Tiffany Doodles image to enter the challenge, any digi image will do! If you haven't done digi before, this is a good time to try! You could win a $10 shopping trip to Tiffany's shop. And if you run into trouble, Tiffany's blog features a place to get help!

Crab on Palm Island

2011-06-04T09:08:00.020-05:00

This cutie crab is a new Tiffany Doodles image and I have given him a home on Palm Island, another Tiffany Doodles digi. I colored the images with Copics, added some diamond glaze to the crab's claws and for some dimension, printed out a second, slightly smaller palm tree for a second set of branches to created a 3-D effect. Re-sizing is part of the fun of digital images. The sentiment is computer generated. This little guy makes me smile! And the best part .. he is the Freebie this week at Tiffany's store!

I've entered this card in the digi challenge at Stamp Something: http://stampchallenges.blogspot.com/

We are planning some summertime activites for the day that includes a burger cook-out with friends. Hope you are doing fun stuff. Thanks for stopping by!

It's a Tiffany Doodles Day!!

2011-06-03T11:18:00.030-05:00

I am such a fan of Tiffany's Doodles! Her images range from stinkin' cute to amazingly elegant! Tiffany's drawings are not only her own original images, she also creates digi's based on her beautiful nature photography. Thus, lovely life-like images of birds and flowers.

I am posting three cards I made with one of her new-release Doodles, Fat Birdbath. I did three cards because I couldn't decide if I wanted to use the image in a small, medium or large size version. That's the joy of digi's! You can re-size them to suit your creative fancy.

After re-sizing the image, I colored the bird and his bath with Copic markers. The musical notes are from ClipArt! I really wanted to show the bird so happy he was making music! I love the texture that stitching adds to a card. The sentiments are computer-generated. This little guy makes me so happy I could sing!!

Tiffany has just re-designed her blog.

Now you can find all sorts of helpful features, including information on how to work with digi's! And there is always a freebie digi image on Thursdays! What's not to like?

Did I mention there's a sale?

Hope your weekend is off to a good start. It's a sunny and HOT day here in Alabama. Thanks for stopping by!

Classic Blooms

2011-05-30T14:08:00.002-05:00

Here comes a little story:

Yesterday, as part of my birthday present (I like to celebrate for a whole week!) my DH and I went to look at a new TV. Because it's birthday week, he willingly stopped at Michael's where I used my 50% off coupon to buy this Hero Arts stamp, Classic Blooms. My intent was to hurry home and make a card to enter in the Flower challenge for this month.

So, here is the card. Again using embossed resist and Distress Inks. I was pretty pleased with myself, having finished in time to upload for the challenge. That is, until I checked and realized the challenge deadline was last Thursday!

So, here it is .. just for you!! And a celebration of Memorial Day. Hope you are having a weekend full of fun and family. Or maybe catching up on the things that don't always get done during a busy week.

Thanks for stopping by!

CAS-ual Fridays Graduation Challenge

2011-05-28T16:16:00.003-05:00

The challenge this week at CAS-ual Fridays is to create a graduation card. Since I have no stamps specifically for graduation, I used the Penny Black "About Town" stamp. I found the mortar board on Clip Art and re-sized it. I used my Die-namics die to make the clouds. Colored the image with Copics. The sentiment is from Dr. Seuss, computer generated. The highway is divided by twine from the Twinery. Don't know if this is clean and simple enough, but it was so fun to make! I love it when you get an idea and can see it through!

Hope you are having a great holiday weekend. Please spend some time remembering what it is all about. Thanks for stopping by!

2011-05-25T20:42:00.005-05:00

These are the amazing ATC's I received from Brenda U in Texas as participants in an ATC swap over at the Hero Arts blog. You can see the darling ATC holder in the second row, left. It opens up to reveal an accordian folder to hold each of the ATC's! The amount of detail and work is incredible! These made my heart sing! Thank you, Brenda!!

This is the little fella I sent off to Brenda! It took him 8 days to get to her home in Texas! I firmly believed he had melted in transit and yesterday sent off another package to Brenda! Our agreement was to have fun! And we did!! ATC's are a great way to share our work and develop friendships.

I just finished viewing PBS's documentary about the Freedom Riders. Very moving and educational documentation of some very brave peoples actions to further the cause of civil rights. Incredible that this took place in my lifetime and that I now live in the state where so much of the confllict occurred.

Hope you all had a wonderful Wednesday. Thanks for stopping by!

Tiffany Doodles Two Butterflies

2011-05-24T15:44:00.002-05:00

Tiffany has two kinds of digital images that she offers; her original drawings and drasings based on photographs she has taken. I have had this image for quite some time and was intimidated by the need for it to look "real". Today, I just sat with my Copics and let colors happen! I am happy with the way it turned out! I kept the matting simple and just let the butterflies have center stage! Again, I reached for the Envelope Pattern stamp by Hero Arts. I think I will just leave that on the desk!

It's been a good day; the smell of pot roast cooking is wafting through the house! Hope you are having a good Tuesday. And thanks for stopping by!

Doodle Bloom 17

2011-05-23T20:41:00.002-05:00

This is a Tiffany Doodles image called Doodle Bloom 17. I resized the image in Paint Shop Pro and colored it with Copics, ading some white ink for accent. The green cs is overstamped with the Hero Arts Envelope Pattern stamp, and the sentiment is from a Hero Arts clear set titled "Life is not Perfect". I meant to enter this card in the Flower Power challenge over at the Tiffany Doodles blog, but I missed the deadline! Oh, well. It was great fun and relaxation to color this image and I do like the way it turned out!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Embossing Challenge at Lily Pad Cards

2011-05-22T16:04:00.006-05:00

The challenge over at the Lily Pond is to make a card involving embossing. I used the emboss resist method, stamping the Sparkle image by Penny Black with VersaMark and embossing with clear. I then used the sponge applicator and daubers to add the Distress Ink for color. I deliberately made the frame a bit larger on two sides, just for interest.

Today is the first day I was able to wind a bobbin and thread the needle on my sewing machine without looking it up in the manual! What an awesome experience! That used to be a one hour ordeal!

I was thinking as I was coloring this image with Distress Inks that they are to stamping what the microwave and dishwasher are to the kitchen!!

Hope you're having a great Sunday! Thanks for stopping by!!

Casual Friday Challenge 3

2011-05-21T18:12:00.008-05:00

I am enjoying practicing Clean and Simple! This card is for the third challenge at the
CAS-ual Friday blog. I pulled out my hardly inked set of Decorative Lamps by Hero Arts. I paper pieced the shades, added glossy accents and gems. The challenge is to do a clean and simple card with added bling! We girls just love our bling!

Hope you are having a great week-end. I am recovering from a bout of bronchitis. Today is a better day than yesterday! Drugs are good.

Thanks for stopping by!

Casual Fridays Challenge #2

2011-05-18T16:45:00.001-05:00

Casual Fridays, a photo by judkajudy on Flickr.

Just had to make one more card to enter into the CAS-ual Fridays challenge to use buttons and twine. This little set from PaperTrey ink is so much fun to play with! The background is a Hero Arts digi, which I cannot locate on my pc!!

I am in the second day of a miserable cold, so want to get this posted and take my body off to my bed! Hope you are all having a wonderful Wednesday and thanks for stopping by!

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #2

2011-05-17T21:37:00.009-05:00

I love the clean and simple style of cardmaking that others use, and I want to work at creating cards in that style. I made these two cards for this week's challenge over at the CAS-ual Fridays blog.

I used a set from PaperTreyink called Everyday Button Bits. The twine on each card is from the Twinery.

Perhaps I've kept these cards too simple! I notice that CAS cards appear to be simple, but usually contain more detail, texture, etc. I couldn't resist entering this challenge when I saw the theme was buttons and twine. I knew this stamp set was eager to be inked after lying idle in a drawer for almost two years!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Nina B Designs Freebie Digi Hyacinth

2011-05-16T18:43:00.016-05:00

I love to participate in the challenges at the Lily Pad Cards blog! If you haven't stopped by the "Pad", be sure to check it out. I made this card using a freebie digi image from Nina Bracket on her blog, Crafting in Croatia.

Imagine my surprise and delight when I visited the pond this morning to find this card chosen as one of the "Froggin' Fantastic Four"! I was home alone so my screams of delight went unnoticed! There are always many amazing and creative entries to any challenge, so it is a real treat to have one recognized! Thanks for sharing my joy! I love being a "Froggin' Fantastic Four"!

ATC Sillyscape with a Silly Fox

2011-05-14T13:15:00.001-05:00

ATC Sillyscape with a Silly Fox, a photo by judkajudy on Flickr.

Honestly, I tried to post to my blog the other day and wouldn't you know, Blogger was not functioning! So, today I will share this ATC I made for the Hero Arts May challenge.

I love that Silllyscape stamp and the cute fox, but what made me put them in the same small space, I have no idea! But the ATC makes me smile and it brings wishes to you for a great day!

Thanks for stopping by.

Watercolor Flowers

2011-05-11T22:34:00.000-05:00

Watercolor Flowers, a photo by judkajudy on Flickr.

The challenge this month at the Hero Arts Blog is Fabulous Flowers. The featured technique is colored pencils. Today, Kelly prepared a video demonstrating coloring with watercolor pencils.

I had fun using my watercolor pencils again! So relaxing to color, add water and watch the magic. I did use several shades of each color on each image. While I love the way my flowers turned out, I'm not so sure about the design. I spent my entire morning trying various ideas ..

The Top Note label is a gift from Lin! I love that shape, and really want to hoard them!

My next project will be working with ATC's. I love working on the smaller space!

Hope you are all having a good week. Thanks for stopping by!

Mimosa with Tulip CAS Challenge

2011-05-07T20:23:00.007-05:00

Mimosa with Tulip CAS Challenge, a photo by judkajudy on Flickr.

I am trying my hand at Clean and Simple. I always admire CAS cards when I see them, but haven't focused on that style. Donna Mikasa is the queen of CAS and she is my idol! This is a stamp from Bild, a Swedish company, titled Mimosa with Tulip. I've had it for awhile, but this is it's first time seeing ink!

I did the embossed bg with a Sissix texture folder. The text is from a book called The Joy of Words, which came tinted in pink!

The little tag is my New Favorite Thing from MFT, notched tag and stamp set. What a fun die!!

I am entering this card in the Cas-Ual Friday challenge which required CAS and using text in some way.

And, by the way, Happy Mother's Day to everyone! We are going to dinner tonight to avoid the crowds tomorrow! All the children came through with cards, letters, flowers and gift cards. What a great week-end. I am stamping my heart out!

Thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday Trigger MoxieFab

2011-05-06T12:18:00.023-05:00

This is the Tuesday Trigger from Moxi Fab for the challenge lasting through May 8th. As soon as I saw those multi colored circles and the grey background, I thought of my Cuttlebug folder with the large dots.

If you want to play along, just click here.

This is the card I made and have entered into the challenge:

I will be sending this card to encourage a little girl recently diagnosed with a serious health issue. Jennifer McGuire has asked for cards to be mailed. If this card can bring a smile, that would be Moxi Fab!

Thanks for stopping by! I have a lot of catching up to do on my blog. Our lives were interrupted with the incredible tornadoes that ripped through our state recently. I'll post a story about it soon!

Color Throwdown at the Lily Pad

2011-04-09T20:25:00.017-05:00

I have been waiting for the premiere challenge at the Lily Pad and was happy to see the bright and cheerful color palette Vicky and Deborah came up with.

I colored the digital clown from the Digi Doodles Shop with Copics, matted it using a purple card base, some BoBunny dots and another purple patterned paper. Used my Ranger Enamel Accents and tied a bow using some very bright and cheery ribbon!

About a year ago I posted a card I made using a clown image on the Hero Arts Blog. I was surprised to learn that many of my fellow stampers do not like clowns! Seems they had been traumatized somewhere in their childhood by a clown! I only have one memory of having been to a circus and I was one very excited and happy seven year old! When I was raising my children, we lived a short distance from Baraboo, Wisconsin, home of the Ringlling Brothers Circus. I took my children to the Circus World Museum for the performances and afterwards we would walk down to the banks of the Baraboo River and watch the circus elephants splash and play in the water while their keepers scrubbed them down!

Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to visit the Lily Pad!

Spring Friends

2011-04-07T17:22:00.001-05:00

100_3323, a photo by judkajudy on Flickr.

I was at Michael's a couple of weekends ago to see if they had revamped their paper crafting section (they hadn't) when I found this clear stamp set by Sandylion. There are 17 clear stamps and it was on clearance (don't you love that word?) for $5.99! The images make me smile! The clouds are a diecut from Die-namics at My Favorite Things. Evenutally someone in my family will receive this card for Easter!

Has Spring arrived where you live? The dogwood trees are in bloom here in Northern Alabama and add such beauty to ordinary streets! Thanks for stopping by!!