Diana's AUsome Creations etc

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

2011-01-11T11:39:00.001-06:00

Just had to say a HUGE congratulations to my Auburn Tigers!! They are the 2010 BCS National Champions!!! So proud to be an Auburn Tiger!

Now.........back soon with some new projects :)

WAR EAGLE!!!

2010-12-05T14:51:00.002-06:00

Just had to post today that my AUsome Auburn Tigers won the SEC Championship game yesterday!!! I am so proud of those boys, their coaches and families and all of those who make these things happen. What a great day when your dream becomes a reality. I know these young men have been working hard all year long to reach this goal and it's just an amazing time for them. Way to go guys!! Now, they are on their way to Glendale, AZ for the National Championship Game on Jan 6th against the Oregon Ducks. WAR EAGLE!!!

I'm working on some Christmas projects and hope to post some here very soon. Hope you're doing some fun stuff too :)

Hi there!!

2010-08-29T15:10:00.023-05:00

Long time, no see! Well, I've been getting better (health wise) so I've been crafting again. I haven't been doing many cards. Actually, I've only done cards that I needed for birthdays and such. However, I do have a new addiction..............VINYL!!! I am so in love with this stuff and what I can do with it! I've been plastering vinyl on EVERYTHING! There's even a little bit on the hubby's car :) I've been using my trusty Cricut machine and cutting all sorts of fonts and shapes. So, I'm gonna share some of my creations with you. It's kind of a long post, so bear with me. Also, most of these pics were taken at my office, so I apologize for the not so good pics! Thanks for stopping by. Let me know what you think of my new hobby :)

Miss Me?

2010-02-22T14:08:00.006-06:00

I've surely missed you!! Pardon me why I explain. I've been away for a while trying to get my health issues under control. Well, the doctor's have finally diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia and I'm now on a medication for that condition. It is incredible how much it's helped me. I still have some hip issues, but I'm in therapy for that. So, thank you for all of your prayers! Next......little Miss Maggie turned 2 a couple of weeks ago. I can't believe it's been 2 years since that precious little angel became our granddaughter. And...........she's going to be a big sister!! YES! My daughter-in-law and son are expecting their second child in September. Am I excited??? YES!!!!!!

So, I'm happy to be back crafting and to share my wonderful news with you. Now...since I've been away for a while, I wanted my first crafty project to use a sketch from my fav sketch blog......2Sketches4U.

So, here is my take on Laura's sketch #46: (I flipped the sketch)

I found this precious image online (it's a free vintage image). I printed it, chalked it and cut it with my handy oval cutter. I added this great gingham ribbon, the scalloped edge (Cricut - Accent Essentials), a couple of little butterflies and a few little blue pearls. The paper is from the SEI Morning Meadow collection and it's called Breeze. It has a beautiful shimmer to it. I think this card could be used as a new baby card for a biological or adopted child or even a Thank You card for a baby gift. Well, thanks for stopping by today and I hope to be "seeing" all of you real soon! Hugs........:)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-21T09:39:00.002-06:00

Well, I've not been up to scrapping lately due to health issues, but I just HAD to pop in and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! To all of my blog world friends, I've missed you very much and I hope to soon be able to get back to creating. I will be visiting your blogs as often as I can over the next few days. I'm off work this week and I've got a little time on my hands to pop over and visit. So, keep me in your prayers and know that I miss you very much! I'm leaving you with a picture of my little Maggie. Isn't she too cute?! Merry Christmas :)

I'm still here :)

2009-10-30T18:24:00.002-05:00

Well, I just wanted to pop in and let you all know that I haven't fallen of the earth's edge! I'm still here, just haven't been here as often. I'm still having my back and hip problems and after 4 doctors, still no real diagnosis. It has really hampered my crafting of late so I haven't been posting. I see a new doc in December and I'm hopeful that he can offer me some relief. Anyway, I've missed all of my blogging world buddies so much! I will be popping in to "see" you soon and I hope to be posting more frequently. Have a great weekend and Happy Halloween!!

(any prayers you can send my way would be totally appreciated):

Doodle Palace New Images!

2009-10-01T18:31:00.002-05:00

This week we were asked to use the new images over at Doodle Palace and these are so, so cute! Go check them out here. My card uses the little witchy bear and I just love him! He is also the FREEBIE this week!! So head over and check out the entire set and while you're there, check out what the other DT members did too :)

MyGraphico and Tuesday Morning Sketches

2009-09-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Well, we survived the recent flooding and our basement is back to dry concrete again. I hope we don't see another drop of rain for a long, long time!! So, today the MyGraphico DT has partnered up with Tuesday Morning Sketches and we've put together some really cute cards. We were able to use ANY MyGrpaphico image that we wanted and man, it was really hard to decide. I had a birthday last week and I need to do some Thank You cards, so I put this one together. (Killing more than one bird at a time here :) I used the pear from the brand new release at MyG called "Ultra Mod Patterned" and you can find it here. I downloaded it, resized it, then printed it on some orange paper. I added some scrap papers, some rub-ons and a few little orange pearls. Super easy!! So, because of the partnership today, you could win a prize both at MyGraphico AND Tuesday Morning Sketches by participating in the challenge this week. Just use the sketch provided, a MyGraphico image, link up your creation and you could win! MyGraphico has so many really great freebies, so if you don't find one for purchase, just pick up a freebie and come join us. Hope to see you over there! Thanks for stopping by today :)

Here's the sketch we used for this week's challenge:

A little Sunday somethin'

2009-09-20T12:53:00.003-05:00

This one is a birthday card for a friend. I used some sweet S.E.I. papers, some ribbon from my stash, a fabric beauty from Loralee Designs, some bling and a sentiment that is computer generated and then cut/embossed with my Nesties. I think she's fab! Thanks for stopping by :)

Doodle Palace - NEW IMAGES!!

2009-09-14T21:29:00.008-05:00

New images are being showcased at Doodle Palace a little later today. So, me and the other DT members were asked to create some cards using these cute, cute new images. I chose the little elf and I just love him! Here's my card:

The HoHoHo paper is Paper Studio and the trim at the top is Basic Grey - Eskimo Kisses. I colored the elf with colored pencils and lots of Stickles! I added some ribbon and bling from my stash to finish it off. Isn't he just too cute?! So, head on over to Doodle Palace and pick up these new images and while you're there, be sure to shop for more!! Also, Doodle Palace has some great challenges and chances to win some of the AUsome images on the challenge blog, so become a follower and join in the fun! Thanks for stopping by today :)

Autumn at MyGraphico

2009-09-14T08:43:00.006-05:00

There is a new challenge today at the MyGrafico Challenge Blog and you're gonna love this one! It's a 1 - 2 - 3 challenge: 1 digital image, 2 designer papers, 3 embellishments. This week the design team is featuring this Autumn Elements set:

I chose to use the scarecrow image and I think he turned out pretty cute. I printed the image, colored it, added some stickles and pop dotted the shirt on the scarecrow. I did this in order to add some rafia underneath. The 2 patterned papers are at the top on down the side. My embellies are a couple of flowers, the stickles and some cording. So, thanks for stopping by and if you'd like to purchase this set, go here. Also, if you would like to participate in our 1-2-3 challenge this week, please come join us! It is highly suggested, but not required that you use a MyGraphico image, but with so many freebies on the website, why not use one of those and join in the fun?! Have a great week!!

"School Kids"

2009-09-07T08:00:00.003-05:00

This week's MyGraphico giveaway is the School Kids set. So, the other DT members and I were asked to create a card or project using this set. I chose to make a tag for a lunch bag. Isn't she cute? She is just one of the really cute little images on this set. I colored her with colored pencils and shaded using baby oil. Then, I used my Cricut to cut the tag using Tags, Bags, Boxes and more and popped the little lady up with dimensional dots. So, what do you have to do to win this set? Just create a card or project with a Back To School theme, preferrably using a MyGraphico image and leave a comment with a direct link to your project here. If uploading to SCS/PCS or MyGrafico ning please use keywords: MG15. That's it! Easy peasy! Be sure to check out the other DT projects too. Each DT name is shown on the MyGraphico page. Thanks for stopping by today :)

Here is the fabulous School Kids set up for grabs:

It's Game Week!!!!

2009-09-04T10:28:00.003-05:00

Just checking in to let you all know that I am headed to my beloved Auburn today for the game this weekend. I'm so excited!!! This is the first game of the new season and I'm pumped for my tigers!! I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and WAR EAGLE!!!!

Oh.....Before I go......be sure to go check out the prize at MyGraphico today. It's SPOOKY CUTE!!!

Pumpkin Boy....

2009-09-03T09:34:00.004-05:00

Doodle Palace has just released some fab new fall designs and the DT was asked to create some yumminess using some of these goodies. My card uses the new "Pumpkin Boy" design. Isn't he the cutest?? I've used three different patterned papers, some raffia, a computer generated sentiment and my little pumkin boy digi image. I printed him 3 times - once each on white, orange and green. Then I cut up the little pieces and paper pieced him together. I love this little guy and Doodle Palace has more great Fall images for you to love as well :) Head on over to the Doodle Palace and check out the other DT creations and while you're there, pick yourself up a set or two of these fab images. You'll be glad you did! Thanks for stopping by:)

You won't BELIEVE this FREEBIE!!!!

2009-09-02T19:02:00.002-05:00

If you like digi images (a/k/a digital stamps), here's an entire set.........FREE!!!!!!!! There's no strings, no "leave a comment" or "become a follower", just FREE, FREE, FREE for the taking!!!
Go pick em up now right HERE! WOW!

MyGraphico - Day 3 of our Party!!

2009-09-02T07:16:00.003-05:00

So, how would you like to win this cute, cute set today?

All you have to do is make a card, LO or other craft project using CANDY. Any image or type will do, just make sure your project includes candy. If uploading to SCS/PCS or MYGrafico Ning use keyword: MGpartyand post it back to the MyGraphico challenge blog with a direct link. Remember challenges end at 10 PST and the winner will be announced tomorrow. (Don't post your link on MY blog, post it HERE at the MyGraphico blog).

Have fun and good luck :)

CCAYR Sept Challenge AND a WINNER!!

2009-09-01T07:24:00.006-05:00

So, today starts the September challenge at Christmas Cards All Year Round! The challenge this month is to just make a Christmas Card! Now how easy peasy is THAT?! There are no special recipes or restrictions. You can make any type of card, any size, any color, just so it's a Christmas card. Now, you need to make five cards to be eligible to win this month's prize which is a set of Christmas stamps. So, go check it out here and play along!! Here is my DT card for this month:

I've used some yummy S.E.I. papers that my friend Julie gave me. The striped paper has a wonderful shimmer, but it's hard to see in the pic. I also used some rub-ons that I picked up at HL along with the red/white cord. So, hop on over to CCAYR and join in!

Now.......I have a winner for the large cherries from yesterday's MyGraphico blog hop. Wasn't it fun to see all of great DT cards?? So, I had a friend at work choose a name "from the hat" and the winner is.............ANN!!! I am at work right now, and my cherry image is at home, so Ann, I will email it to you later today. Congrats :)

Now, be sure to hop over to the MyGraphico challenge site today because today's prize is the entire set of digi images called Superheroes. All you have to do is become a follower at the site and you could win the set. Have a super Tuesday and thanks for stopping by:)

MyGraphico is having a Blog Hop!!

2009-08-31T07:20:00.000-05:00

First of all, MyGrafico is up and running again.....YEA!!!! The site was down getting some maintenance and it is now up, running and full of grafic yumminess!! So, me and the other DT members at the MyGraphico challenge blog are having a blog hop to celebrate the updated and wonderful store! Now, aren't you glad you stopped by today???

Here are all of the details of the hop. It's a bit long, but hang in there, 'cause it's well worth it!

1. To start the hop, you need to go to Martha's blog. If you came here first, be sure to go back to Martha's blog to start off.

2. Then follow the hop and be on the look-out for a LETTER to be highlighted on each blog you hop to!

3. You want to leave a comment on each blog Along the way to win an image from the Candy Shoppe set (see below).

4. You Also want to collect the letters to create a phrase.

5. Once you know what the phrase is, you want to email your guess to mccreations@ ymail.com by 10:00 pm (PST) tonight and you could be the winner of the entire set!

Here's my card for this week's kick-off celebrAtion!

The challenge was to use an image from the above set and the colors RED, PINK, and GREEN. I printed the large cherries on some white cardstock then red and then again on green. I cut out the cherries and the leaves from the red and green cardstock. Then, I ran the leaves thru the Cuttlebug with the circles embossing folder. Then, I paper pieced the cherries and leaves. I added some Glossy Accents to the cherries to shine them up a bit. The cake was cut using my Cricut and the Wedding Solutions cartridge. The drippy icing is a Martha Stewart border punch. I added a bit of Stickles to the scalloped parts of the cake. I also used a Martha punch on the green border and ran that thru the Cuttlebug as well using the Swirls folder. I added a rub-on, a computer generated sentiment and a cute little flower/ribbon brad. Easy peasy!! I love the MyGraphico digi images because they are so, so cute AND so easy to work with.

Now..........I will be giving away the large cherries image from the set below to a random person chosen from every one that leaves me a comment on THIS POST TODAY. And did you find my featured (highlighted) letter? Keep collecting letters during your hopping to create a phrAse and email to the address above by 10:00 pm PST TONIGHT to win this entire set:

BTW: There will be more prizes all week long so you'll want to visit the MyGrafico Challenge blog every day for chances to win:

TUESDAY: sign up at the challenge blog to become a Follower and you could win Superheroes WEDNESDAY: If YOU create a sweet card, you might just win Back to School

THURSDAY: Leave a comment at the Challenge blog and you might win Halloween Ghoulies FRIDAY: Last but not least, everyone who has joined the Followers list or left a comment at the Challenge blog has a chance to win the Trick or Treat set

What a week of fun!! Be sure to check back often! I will post reminders throughout the week for each day's activities so you'll have lots of chances to win!

Thanks for stopping - now leave me a comment for your chance to win the large cherries image and then HOP along to .........Stephanie and see what she's got for you!

Checkin' in and some fun news!

2009-08-30T20:21:00.002-05:00

Just posting a little note to say Hi and I hope ya'll have had a great weekend! I had a great time yesterday throwing a party for my BFF, Julie. It was her 40th birthday and me and 3
other fab ladies threw a great party for her. It was a total surprise and I think she really enjoyed it. So, I didn't get any crafting done yesterday. Today I've been working on some DT stuff for this week and I can't wait for you to see it! So, the fun stuff that I mentioned in my title begins tomorrow. BE SURE TO POP OVER HERE EARLY MONDAY FOR ALL THE FUN!! You will not want to miss this one!! Have a great evening and I'll see you in the a.m. Thanks for stopping by :)

I Made the Top 5!!

2009-08-29T10:19:00.003-05:00

I made the top 5 at Get Sketchy this week!! I'm so excited and grateful to the DT for voting my Halloween card (kitty and pumpkin) into the top 5. (you can see my card below in an earlier post). If you haven't checked out this new challenge site, you really should. The sketches are so fun to work with and the DT are incredibly talented. Also, it has become a very popular site very quickly and the inspiration is abundunt with all of the crafters that are participating each week. So, go check them out here and join in the fun! Thanks for stopping by :)

The Limelight Task 10

2009-08-27T19:44:00.001-05:00

So, our Limelight design team has a project that we do each month and the project for August is "Cards for Soldiers". We were asked to create 20 cards for our soldiers for them to send back home to family and friends. I can't tell you what a privilege it was to make these cards. I don't know of a more deserving group of people to create cards for. These men and women keep us safe and free 24/7. So, we did have a couple of "rules" with our cards. We could not use any kind of glitter, including Stickles (oh no!). Also, we couldn't use any heavy embellishments because of restraints on the amount of postage the soldiers can use. So, I just made a variety of cards including birthdays for kids and adults, anniversary, love you, miss you and several with no sentiment for an all occasion card. I do hope that these are helpful to the soldiers and that the family members that receive these cards will smile. Now, I've only shown you a snipet of the cards I've made. Now, I will direct you to the Limelight site so that you can see the other cards I've done AND check out the FABULOUS creations done by the other DT members for this same task. There has been much love and devotion put into each card and I really want you to go see the others. Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless each of you and God Bless America!

VERY Exciting news!!!!!

2009-08-26T15:01:00.003-05:00

I've been selected to be on the Design Team at the Doodle Palace!! I can't tell you how excited I am!! The Doodle Palace has the cutest digi images and you know how I LOVE some digi images!! So, Dee and Robin (owners of Doodle Palace) have asked me to be on their DT and I am just so stinkin' happy about it! My first challenge will be Sept 1st. So, keep checking back because there will be lots of challenges, prizes and surprises to come and YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS IT!! Meanwhile, go check out their store and see all the cute, cute images.

Oh and by the way, if you go to the store by Sept 1st, all the images are 60% OFF!!!!

So, get yourself on over there NOW!

Thanks for stopping by and don't be a stranger!

Get Sketchy! #2

2009-08-26T12:12:00.007-05:00

Well, I can't post my DT stuff today. Gotta wait one more day. Anyhoo, I decided to participate this week at Get Sketchy and it's week #2. I'm still in the Halloween mode (these are really fun!), so I made another card using this week's sketch. The image is a freebie from

Digital Delights. They give away a freebie every Friday, so be sure to check those out! Also, Digital Delights is having a Grand Re-Opening event and you could win...........drum roll please.........EVERY IMAGE IN THEIR STORE!!! So, hurry over and check it out! There is a Grand Re-Opening logo to the right in my sidebar. Click on the logo and head on over there.

You can check out all the other deets on my card below. Thanks for stopping by today! BOO!

Patterned paper: Making Memories

Digi Image: Digital Delights

Ribbon: Hobby Lobby

Witch brad: Creative Imaginations

Sentiment: Computer Generated and then

cut/embossed using Nestablilites

Orange paper embossed with Cuttlebug

Hi there!

2009-08-25T08:45:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! I'm still here! I've been working on lots of DT stuff this week and unfortunately I can't post it until tomorrow. I have just completed a large project for the Limelight team and I can't wait to show it to you. Meanwhile, I'm working on some stuff for friends AND I'm popping by all of YOUR blogs to see what you are up to :) Hope you are all having a great week and I'll be back soon with some fun stuff! Thanks for stopping by :)

Inspirational Card Sketches - Guest DT

2009-08-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

Well, this week is my 2nd and last week to be the guest designer for ICS. I really have enjoyed this and I hope they will ask me again in the future. If you've never participated in their challenges you really should go check them out. The sketches are just fantastic and so, so easy to work with. So this week's sketch (#30) offered up 3 squares in the center. Well, since I've only done a couple of Halloween cards, I used this sketch to conjure up another one. I've used my Cricut to cut out the "creatures", the pumpkins and the grass using Zooballoo, Doodlecharms and Paper Doll Dress Up. Oh, and I used George and Basic Shapes for the pumpkin eyes. I used Stickles for the eyes cause it looks kindy spooky. I added some orange cording and a computer generated sentiment to top it off. So, I hope you enjoy the card and do pop over to ICS for some pure eye candy from the DT. Thanks for stopping by :)

Here's the sketch:

And here is my take on it:

Get Sketchy! #1

2009-08-15T16:33:00.004-05:00

There's a new sketchy blog on the block and it's Get Sketchy! Good fun and great prizes so you won't want to miss this one! The sketch this week was really fun. I'm not sure why, but I never make Halloween cards so I thought I'd use the sketch this week and try one on for size. I used some orange and black cardstock and patterned paper from Prima. I cut the spider webs and the spiders from Paper Doll Dress Up and Doodlecharms with the Cricut. The chipboard sentiments are from Creative Imaginations. I added some stickles for the spider eyes. Scary, huh? Be sure to go check out all the DT cards here. They are SWEET! Thanks for stopping by :)

Here's the sketch:

And here's my take on it:

Guest Designer @ Inspirational Card Sketches!

2009-08-11T07:49:00.005-05:00

I am so honored to be the Guest Designer this week (and next week) at Inspirational Card Sketches! Dawn asked me to do this a couple of months ago and I'm just excited that she asked me. The design team at ICS does wonderful work and provides such inspiration each and every week. If you've never joined in the fun, you really should! So, this week the sketch was offered up by Tricia and it's a fabulous one. Here it is:

And here is my take on it:

I'm not sure why, but I'm really into making these baby cards lately. The lamb is a little sticker. Isn't she the cutest? I used my Cricut to cut the scalloped circles using Mini Monograms. I used my ScorPal for the lines on the pink cardstock. Baby was cut with the Cricut using Alaphalicious and the sentiment is computer generated. So, head on over to ICS and join in! We would love to see what you come up with this week! Also, there is a prize for the winner!!!!!
Thanks for stopping by :)

Maggie's latest visit

2009-08-10T19:27:00.008-05:00

Well, just thought I would post a couple of new pics of the little Magster. She came to visit Grammy & Pops over the weekend and we had a fabulous time with her! We took her to the park on Saturday afternoon and I got some really great pics of her. She is just the smartest little girl and I'm so amazed at her. Her vocabulary is beyond good for an 18 month old. You must be VERY careful what you say around her because she is a little human tape recorder. It's like hearing an echo when you're around her. So, it will be another 4 or 5 weeks before our next visit and I'm already counting the days. I love you Maggie! Thanks for stopping by :)

MyGraphico - Challenge #13 - Dinos! ****SPECIAL NOTE ADDED 8-13-09

2009-08-10T12:55:00.011-05:00

It's Monday, so that means another challenge is up at MyGraphico. This week the set is all about Dino's. Here is the set:

And here is where you can purchase this set. Isn't it just the cutest?! I used some Basic Grey papers, my Cricut for the card and the scalloped circle, a journaling tag from Cosmo Cricut and some ribbon from my stash to create this little baby card. I think I like how it turned out.

So, if you want to have a chance to win this cute set, just upload your card or project using Dinosaurs here. When uploading to PCP, SCS, or MyGrafico ning please use keyword/tag: MG13. We would love for you to join us! (Obviously you do not have to use THIS set, but you are encouraged to use a MyGraphico element. There are tons of freebies here. Thanks for stopping by today :)

*****PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MYGRAPHICO COMPANY SERVER IS CURRENTLY DOWN. SO, MY LINKS TO THEIR WEBSITE FOR PURCHASING THE IMAGES WILL NOT WORK UNTIL THE SERVER IS BACK UP AND RUNNING. PLEASE CHECK BACK SOON IF YOU'D LIKE TO PURCHASE ANY OF THEIR IMAGES**** Thanks for your patience.

MyGraphico - Baby Challenge

2009-08-04T15:10:00.007-05:00

A new challenge is up at MyGraphico and this week it's a baby challenge! Don't you just love making baby cards? The DT were asked to use images from the New Babies Accessories kit and it was hard to choose from this adorable set. I chose the little bear and the ABC blocks. I printed my images on patterned paper, cut them out and then added them to my card. I added a little bow to the bear. Super easy! Now, head on over to http://mygraficochallengeblog.blogspot.com/ and check out the eye candy from the other DT members. And be sure to participate this week and you could win this set:

Isn't it just adorable? Hope you'll come join in with us! By the way, in order to participate you must use a MyGraphico image. If you don't own any (and I'm not sure WHY you wouldn't :), you can pick some up from the MANY freebies that they offer here: http://www.mygrafico.com/freebies/cat_13.html. Thanks for stopping by!

CP Sketch #26

2009-08-02T16:01:00.006-05:00

I hope you are all having a great Sunday! I've been working on some DT stuff for the last couple of days, but I did get a chance to make a birthday card. I'm using the Card Patterns sketch #26, shown above. I used the new Basic Grey June Bug papers on this one. I love those papers!! The polka dot paper is from Little Yellow Bicycle. I used a couple of Cuttlebug embossing folders, a Martha Stewart punch, added some bling and bows to the little "gifts" and some cardstock from HL. The sentiment says, "It's ok to have everything you want". The inside will say, "Especially on your Birthday!". Hope you like it! Thanks for stopping by :)

Yellow, Orange, Hot Pink and Lime Green for Christmas??

2009-08-01T12:59:00.003-05:00

YES! For August we at Christmas Cards All Year Round were asked to make a Christmas card using these cool colors. You know, last Christmas I noticed that these colors were very popular for Christmas decorations, cards, ornaments and wrapping paper. So, how cool is it to have a card for the upcoming Christmas season using these newest holiday colors? And how even cooler would it be to have FIVE of these cards?! Well, if you join us for the August challenge you WILL have five cards to give to family and friends for the 2009 Christmas season. All you need to do, is create five cards using these yummy colors, link them up over at CCAYR and not only will you have five cards done for Christmas, but you could also receive a sweet prize!! So, head on over to CCAYR and see all the delicious cards that the DT have made and join us!! I'd love to see what YOU come up with :)

http://christmascardsallyearround.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-challenge.html

Get Sketchy!!!

2009-08-01T11:11:00.002-05:00

There's a new sketch blog on the block and you're not gonna wanna miss this one!! They're givin' away some free stuff and guess what you can get in just a couple more days??? COSMO CRICKET!!!!!!! Yes!! So, go check it out! The sketch challenges start on August 14th and it looks like it's gonna be a GREAT place to be!! So, hurry on over and get in on your chance to win some fabulous CC stuff! Go, go , go..................http://getsketchy.blogspot.com/2009/07/want-to-earn-some-free-stuff.html
Oh....and tell 'em that Ausomemom sent you :)

Thanks for stopping by!

TPE #24; 365Cards Day #148 and a Blogaversary!!

2009-07-26T15:37:00.008-05:00

First, the challenges. The challenge at The Pink Elephant this week is "Animals". Well, my card is sporting some birds and a worm (that seems to be in trouble!). The 365 Cards challenge is Super Sketchy Sunday and Pam has given us a rather unique sketch. I tried to stick to it, but I'm afraid I may have veered just a little. (Will you forgive me Pam?). I did turn the sketch and my rolling hills are the rounded portion. All of this card was paper pieced, so it took a while, but I love this image by Pink Petticoat!

Now..........it's my ONE YEAR BLOGAVERSARY!!! It was one year ago today that I started my blog. I can't believe it has already been one year! I have had sooooo much fun with this. I've met so many wonderful, creative and oh so talented people thru this crazy outlet. I've visited tons of other blogs that have been filled with so much inspiration and I've even scraplifted a few (with permission of course!). I have been left the kindest, most generous messages here not only regarding my crafting, but also about me personally AND my family. I've gotten the sweetest comments about my precious Maggie and I thank you for letting me share her with you. So, thank you to all of my blogging friends for always popping in and leaving me encouragement. This day kind of snuck up on me, so I'm not quite ready to offer up some candy. Give me a couple of weeks to come up with some great stuff and we'll have ourselves a party over here!!

Thanks for stopping by today :)

Here is the 365Cards sketch for today:

Deets:

Mushroom house image: Pink Petticoat

Birds: Cricut - Home Decor

Papers: Anna Griffin, Colorbok, Creative Imaginations

Brad: stash

Sentiment: Computer generated

Door: Used Cuttlebug and the bird/branch folder

Card Patterns #24

2009-07-25T11:04:00.007-05:00

A great sketch, again, at CP this week. I've used some old and new stuff on this one. This card just reeks summertime to me. I am IN LOVE with all of my flip flops (especially my Auburn ones!), so I had to use this really cool flip flop sentiment tag. Be sure to head over to Card Patterns (http://cardpatterns.blogspot.com/2009/07/sketch-25-and-some-great-news.html)

and check out the eye candy from the DT. Thanks for stopping by today :)

Deets:

Background paper: Basic Grey - June Bug

Green patterned paper: Colorbok - Friendly Forest

Journal tag: Cosmo Cricket - Early Bird

Flower border: Basic Grey - June Bug

Sentiment Tag: Cosmo Cricket - Snorkel

Twine, bling, dragonfly: from stash

Guess what? I made the DT!!!

2009-07-21T21:19:00.002-05:00

At MyGraphico!! Click on my title and go check it out! I'm so excited to be a part of this team! We get to use some of the most 'ausome' digi images and I can't wait to get started. My first challenge card is for the first week of August, so be sure to come check it out. Now, you REALLY should be participating in these challenges!! You get to create some really cool cards AND you get a chance to win some REALLY great digi images EACH WEEK!! So, come on over and join us. You'll be glad you did!! Thanks for stopping by :)

I'm still here.......

2009-07-21T12:05:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to let you all know that I haven't just disappeared. I've been having some medical issues and haven't been able to craft for the last several days. Tomorrow I'm having some injections in my back and hopefully I will be doing cartwheels afterwards. Of course, I couldn't do cartwheels BEFORE I had back issues, so not real sure I will after my shots. At any rate, I have been checking in on alot of you and I'm amazed at your creativity. You all are such an inspiration to me and I love popping over to see your latest creations. So, say a little prayer for me tomorrow (I'm pretty nervous about this) and I hope to be back online very soon. Hugs!! And thanks for stopping by today :)

Card Patterns Sketch #23

2009-07-14T21:08:00.005-05:00

Another great sketch is up at Card Patterns this week. I got to use some of my new stuff that I purchased last weekend at the Scrap Expo. Here is the sketch:

And here is my card:

Deets:

Paper: My Mind's Eye - Penny Lane

Marquee, border, swirl: Cosmo Cricket - Celebrate Life

Good Times Flower: Colorbok - Friendly Forest

Yellow Flower: Prima

Scalloped borders: Martha Stewart punch

Doodling: Sharpie

Gems: Stash

Thanks for stopping by today!

Designing in The Lime Light

2009-07-12T19:15:00.005-05:00

Well, my fantabulous weekend is coming to a close and what a weekend it was. I started out with my BFF and her daughter on Friday and headed over to Atlanta for the Scrapbook Expo 2009. WOW! Talk about a kid in a candy store! The very first booth we came to had everything for $1.00. ONE DOLLAR!!!! Well, as you can imagine, I totally racked up there! Then, we combed the entire expo and my pocketbook was 'almost' empty. But.....we headed to Archivers. A scrappers dream store! I was able to get the new Cosmo Cricket paper line - Early Bird!! And....it was on sale! Once we finished up at Archivers, the pocketbook was definitely empty. Then, we headed to downtown Atlanta and met my son and his wife and the cutest little girl in the world..........Maggie! Yes, I got to have an early dinner with the Magster and then they followed us on the journey back home and spent the weekend with us. Maggie is only 17 months old and she is a human tape recorder. EVERYTHING you say..........she says! We had so much fun with her this weekend and I'm already looking forward to our next visit. So, it's been a wonderfully fun weekend and I hate for it to end. Here is a pic of the little Mags........a bathing beauty!

I now have some fabulous news for you. I am now a very proud design team member of The Lime Light! I'm so very excited to be a part of this fabulous and very gifted team! If you've not heard of us, here is a little of what the team is about, straight from the blog site:

We are a design team with a unique purpose. We use our crafting skills to help and bring light to others. We invite you to visit the site often to find out whom we are crafting for and what we are planning in the months to come. We have exciting plans that include making cards and bookmarks for our men and women in uniform, making journals for families whose children are in the hospital, making cards for baskets that help raise money for playground equipment....and that's just the beginning.

So, now do you see why I am so happy to be a part of this? I can't wait to start my first project. Please stop in and see what's going on at The Lime Light. Become a follower so you can keep up with what's happening and feel free to join in!! There are several opportunities for everyone to join in the fun and The Lime Light always accepts donations in the form of money and/or crafting materials to help out with the various projects. Click on my title above and go check it out.

Sorry for the long post, but wanted to update you. Thanks for stopping by today :)

Scrapbook Expo 2009 and I'm there!!!!

2009-07-09T08:19:00.002-05:00

OK, so I know I haven't posted this week, but I've been having these strange headaches every night when I get home from work. Not sure what's prompting those, unless it's this insatious HEAT! Anyway, me and my bff Julie are headed out early tomorrow morning for the Scrapbook Expo 2009 in Atlanta. I am so STOKED about it!! Afterwards, we are headed to Archivers in Buford, GA. We've never been to an Archivers and I can't wait to go. And in case that's not enough absolute fun and excitement, we are meeting Maggie in Atlanta for dinner and then she and her parents are coming home with me for the weekend!!!!!!!!! OMG!! Can one weekend be ANY better than this?! So, I plan to be like a kid in a candy store at the expo and Archivers and I hope to bring home lots of new stuff to play with. I hope each of you has a perfectly wonderful weekend and I should be back online Sunday afternoon. Hugs.........

July Challenge at Christmas Cards All Year Round is UP!

2009-07-05T13:09:00.004-05:00

So, the July challenge at CCAYR is to use red, white and blue. I know, it seems strange for Christmas card colors, but believe me, it's very cool! Just check out all the DT cards - http://christmascardsallyearround.blogspot.com/. I am also on the DT at CCAYR and my July card is shown below. I used some Friendly Forest paper, the Cricut, a beautiful flower that I won in some FAB blog candy from Ann, a little twine and a border punch for the white side border. Super easy, but effective I think. So.....Go check out the other DT cards and please join us for our July challenge. You can try out this unusual color scheme and get 5 Christmas cards done - in JULY! Thanks for stopping by today :)

2S4U, Laura's sketch #29

2009-07-03T13:43:00.004-05:00

Laura gave us another great sketch this week. I love how the sketches at 2S4U are so versatile. You can really do ANYTHING with them! So, I used some fab Colorbok paper for my background and the little green branch paper is SEI. The cutsey little chipboard pieces are Colorbok from the Friendly Forest collection. I used the hearts embossing folder on my blue paper and added a computer generated sentiment. I bought the Martha Stewart scallop dot border punch last night and I absolutely LOVE it!! Add a little ribbon and some great little buttons and that's it! Thanks for stopping by today :)

The sketch:

And my card:

Cuttlebug Challenge and ICS #23

2009-07-03T11:26:00.005-05:00

ICS has a fabulous sketch up this week and I paired it with this week's Cuttlebug Challenge. The CB challenge is to use red, white and blue and buttons and also use the Swiss Dots folder. Well, our oldest son was born on the 4th of July (hey, that should be a movie title!). So, I decided to make his card using the two challenges. I used the Swiss Dots folder and swiped it with a blue ink pad to give it some color. All the stars were cut with the Cricut using the George cartridge. I also used the CB Spots and Dots folder on the large white piece. The red circles are some stickers from Creative Cafe. I also added my white button, twine and some mesh, all from my stash and a little red/white/blue ribbon. Oh, and the little festive paper strings are some slivers of silver/white paper that I cut with my paper trimmer. So, I hope our son likes his card and if his wife happens to see this before his party...............shhhhhh :) Thanks for stopping by today!

Here is the ICS Sketch:

And here is my card:

Top 5 at CP!!

2009-06-29T11:24:00.002-05:00

Thank you to the wonderful DT over at Card Patterns for choosing my sister's birthday card as part of the top 5 this week!! I had so much fun making this card for my sister and I gave it to her Saturday. She loved it which makes it so very special to me. So, go check out the other Top 5 AND Tracey's winning card for sketch #20......FABULOUS stuff!! Thanks again for the votes :)
http://cardpatterns.blogspot.com/2009/06/monday-winners-top-5.html
Have a great day everyone!!

CP Sketch #21 and The Pink Elephant #21

2009-06-28T17:21:00.004-05:00

Card Patterns has got an 'ausome' sketch this week!! Here's the sketch:

Told ya! Also, The Pink Elephants Challenge #21 is "Your Favorite Color Combo". So, I used some yummy papers that I recently won in some blog candy. Evidently this blue and green combo is now my fav :) I cut the scallops with the Cricut using Plantin Schoolbook. Then I added some embossing to it with the Cuttlebug. The image and sentiment are from Pink Petticoat. I printed it twice and cut out part of it from the second copy. I colored the image with Sharpies, added some stickles to the cupcake and some Glossy Accents to the cherry. Then I pop dotted the cupcake and cherry to add some dimension. I added some yummy ribbon and some cute little flowers from Flora Doodles. So, this one is for a friend's daughter for her birthday. Hope she likes it. Thanks for stopping by today!

I made the FAB 5!!!

2009-06-28T12:40:00.003-05:00

OMG!! I am SO STOKED that I made the fab 5 this week at 2S4U!! I have been participating in their sketch challenges for many months now and I enjoy creating from their sketches each and every week. My card is the one just below this post that I made for little Claire. She will be 10 next week and she was a student of my sister's in 2nd grade. My sister became close friends with her mom and dad and they are spending vacation together this week, so my sis asked me to make her a special card for her 10th birthday. I hope she likes her card and I told my sister to show her that it made the fab 5 on the WWW. Anyhoo, I'm so very excited and thank you to Kazan and Laura and all of their DT for inspiring sketches and cards every week of the year :) Thanks for stopping by!

Kazan's Sketch #29

2009-06-27T08:59:00.004-05:00

Great sketch this week by Kazan at 2S4U. The DT over there has some real eye candy with this one, so be sure to go check it out! My card was made for a little lady that's turning 10. I love all these colors together and I think it will brighten her birthday. (at least I hope so!). I won these papers in some blog candy (yummy!) and I used the swirls CB folder on the circle. The little butterflies are an MS punch with a little bling added. The little girl's name is Claire, so I thought the sentiment with the C was perfect-o. The little flowers are Flora Doodles and the ribbon, button and twine are from my stash.

So, this week at 2S4U they are taking it down to the top 5 in the Ultimate Card Showdown. I can't hardly wait to see who wins the grand prize soon. The cards in the contest are absolutely gorgeous and so stinkin' creative! So, go check out the site to see all the goodies. Thanks for stopping by today :)

"I've Been Framed" and CP#20

2009-06-26T21:02:00.005-05:00

Well, I needed a last minute birthday card for a VERY special person and today's 365Cards and Card Patterns challenges fit the bill. Day #118 at 365 Cards is "I've Been Framed". You must use a frame on your card. The Card Patterns sketch lent me the opportunity to use scallops, so I used a scallop frame cut from Mini Monograms (Cricut). The papers were part of a pack that I won in some blog candy and I'm not sure who the mfg is, but I LOVE this paper!! The owl and branch were cut from the same paper. I added some cute pompom trim and a little bling for the owl eyes. The sentiment is computer generated. Guess who it's for? Thanks for stopping by today!

A Thank You

2009-06-23T18:39:00.003-05:00

No challenge card today, just a Thank You card for a client. I used some Fab Basic Grey papers, a little twine and a great little dragonfly charm. I added a rub-on (Thank you) that I won in a recent RAK and I used the corner rounder on the little tag. I think she'll like it. Think so? (You can click on this one for a closer view).

Thanks for stopping by today!

Day #110 - My Guy and 2S4U Laura's #28

2009-06-18T21:22:00.003-05:00

Two challenges in one today. Well, 3 if you count the fact that any 'man' card is a challenge for ME! So, I used Laura's sketch at 2S4U and the "My Guy" challenge at 365 Cards for today. We were to make a guy card and use argyle paper on the card. I cut the plane and the car from some very cool paper by K&Co. The sentiment was cut from Graphically Speaking (Cricut). I added some washers that I inked up with alcohol inks and a metal tag. I would tell you all the paper mfg's that I used, but I cut it all up before I checked it :)

So, this is the last (YES!) Father's Day card that I have to make. (jumping up and down and yelling like a wild person!). Hope you enjoy it and thank you so much for stopping by today!

Fabulous at 50!

2009-06-17T19:39:00.005-05:00

Another Loralie Design fabulous fabric lady. I really can't thank Enfys enough for introducing this fabric and technique to me. I love these little ladies! This one is for a fab lady about to be 50. I was "strongly" asked to make this card for a friend and who could turn down making a blingy, fab lady card?! You know, the hardest thing sometimes is finding the right paper. Well, I thought she looked perfect against the black and I got oh so lucky that I had the perfect color ribbon to go with it. And yes......those are feathers coming out of her hat. Cute, huh? So, I hope she likes it and I hope she has a fabulous birthday! Thanks for stopping by today and as always, thank you SO MUCH for your 'ausome' comments :)

And the inside (with MORE bling!):

Father's Day cards..........blah...

2009-06-16T21:00:00.004-05:00

(click on the photo for a larger view)

I do NOT like doing Father's Day cards. Man cards are too hard for me. You can't 'pretty them up' like you can female cards. Oh well. I had some friends that 'forced' me to do some. So, these are a couple I've done. I did some others, but for some reason my pics didn't turn out well. So, I'll just share these two. The "D" card has some washers on it that I inked up with alcohol inks and then I attached them to some silver metal. I added a little charm on the twine that I made using shrink plastic. The owl is a digital image from Cocoa Studio found at Mygrafico online. I printed it, colored it and cut it out and then pop dotted it. The black diamonds are black alphabet tiles that I just turned upside down. The sentiment says..."Owl always love you Poppy" (computer generated).

I didn't get to participate at 365Cards today, but I'll catch up. I don't want to miss out on a chance to win the Cosmo Cricket prize at the end of the week! Thanks for stopping by today and if you have any Father's Day cards to make, I'll pray for you :)

Day #107 - So Girly!

2009-06-15T20:02:00.003-05:00

At 365Cards today, the word "Girl" must be somewhere on the card and you should make the card very girly. Well, I've added so much bling to this card that it couldn't be anything BUT girly! This little lady is fabric from Loralie Designs (found online because of the FAB Enfys). I added some bling for her earrings, necklace and shoes that was won from my friend Ann's blog candy recently. I added more bling, some white grosgrain ribbon and the sentiment is computer generated. The patterned paper was in a Martha Stewart paper pack. I was supposed to be making Father's Day cards tonight, but I just couldn't pass up "girlie day"! Plus....it's Cosmo Cricket week at 365 Cards this week and I have to play! OK, so I'm off to check out all the other cards from all the fab ladies @ 365 today. I know they're all drop dead gorgeous! Thanks for stopping by :) (you can click on this one for a close up of ALL that bling and the sentiment.)

Better today.....Day #106 Super Sketchy Sunday..

2009-06-14T15:31:00.007-05:00

Well, the mojo is working it's way back. I had a great sketch from Pam today with Day 106 @ 365 Cards. I needed to do a birthday card for a friend's granny. She loves chickens, so I HAD to use one! This one is cut from my cricut cartridge - Animal Kingdom. I added some rafia and some twine, a few little tiles, a cute ribbon and a computer generated tag. I think it looks pretty country. What do you think? Thanks for stopping by today (and thanks to all my well wishers from yesterday!). OOPS!!! Almost forgot........It's Cosmo Cricket week at 365 Cards so be sure to stop by and join in the fun this week!! You "could" win a fab prize!!

Here is the sketch:

And here is my card:

This is bad...........very BAD!

2009-06-13T15:43:00.002-05:00

I'm stumped. I can't craft.........at all! I've sat at my craft table since 8:00 this morning and nothing. I spent about 3 hours on the 365 Cards challenge..........and nothing. I spent another 2 hours on the Card Patterns challenge..........and nothing. I've looked at the 2S4U challenge for the last 1 1/2 hours...........and nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing. What is going on with me today?! I put something together and don't like the patterns. I try a 6X6 and find it should be a 5X7. I stick something down and decide I don't like it. I print an image and it's too big. I cut out an image and I cut into the lines. Nothing is working. So........I'm gonna put it all away and try again tomorrow. I have several cards to make for friends, but I'm getting nowhere. Think I'll go eat a plate of the deliciously smelling smoked bbq ribs that hubby is cooking, watch a movie or two and try again tomorrow. Thanks for joining me in my pitty party and I'll see you tomorrow...........hopefully.

Day #100 - Manic Monday ~~~

2009-06-08T20:03:00.006-05:00

The challenge today..........use 5 bold colors on your card: RED, ORANGE, YELLOW, GREEN, and BLUE - No pastels! Well, tomorrow is my anniversary to my wonderful hubby of 8 years. He's frowned in the past when I've made "manly" cards, saying that they are not bright enough. I tend to use dark blues, browns and blacks on man cards, but NOT THIS TIME!! I used the challenge today to make a bright cheerful card for the hubby. I used some FAB paper for the "S" from (you guessed it) Basic Grey. The green stripes are from Heidi Swapp. I had some cute little scrabble letters to add and a little bling (arrow). Hubby bought me the little glittered hearts for Valentines Day. (which happens to be the day he proposed 8 years ago). You can click on this one to view it larger. I'm not sure why some of my pics enlarge and others don't. (weird!). Well, I think I covered all the colors for today's challenge and I hope hubby will like it. Thanks for stopping by :)

Day #99 - Super Sketchy Sunday

2009-06-07T14:36:00.008-05:00

Almost 100 days of 365Cards.....can you believe it?! I've missed quite a few lately, but I always come back because the challenges and all the crafters that participate are just 100% 'ausome'! So, today Pam gave us a cool sketch. When I looked at this I thought of a pennant. So, I sorta made one for an "all star Dad". I flipped the sketch and cut some colored stars from paper by My Mind's Eye. I added a strip pf the paper on the end and cut into it to make a frayed edge. I saw someone else do that (maybe it was Kristie?) and I loved it. I also used my Scor-It and scored some lines in the top right corner. OOPS!!! I just realized that I was supposed to use a dragonfly on my card today in honor of the incredible Jeannie!! OK, so I will make another card and include a dragonfly. So, thanks for stopping by today and be sure to check out all the DT loveliness at 365 Cards today!

Card Patterns #18

2009-06-07T11:51:00.005-05:00

Great sketch this week at CP AND a fabulous prize! The prize this week is from Unity Stamp Co and they are fantastic!! I don't own any of their stamps, but I drool over them every time I see one. So, I decided to flip the sketch on it's side and make a Thank You card this time. My stamp is from Hero Arts. I stamped it twice, cut the center out and colored it with my Koh-I-Knor pencils and used some baby oil to smooth. Then I popped up the colored part on top of the other image. I used basic black and pink cardstock and some FAB Basic Grey paper from the Two Scoops line. I added some cute little diamond shaped bling, a little rikrak and a bow. You should go check out all the CP cards this week. The DT really rocked this one! Thanks for stopping by today :)

My new favorite thing....

2009-06-06T14:50:00.005-05:00

Well, I have to apologize that I've been somewhat MIA this week. It's been a busier than average week at work and I've been too exhausted at night to get any crafting done. We went to dinner last night with family and friends (16 of us!) and on the way home, we purchased this:

Well, we've spent the last 4 hours putting it together and adding some lights but I am comletely in love with it! If you live in the south, you know that we have some very hot summers and LOTS of huge mosquitos. Well, the mosquito nets on this little baby are the perfect ticket to keep them away from ME. The net "drapes" pull together and zip up and then you are completely closed off from little critters. So, now I will enjoy coming home from work, grabbing my favorite scrapbooking magazine and a cool glass of sweet tea and heading out to enjoy the evening in my new gazebo. Ahhhhh......love it! Oh yeah, I almost forgot......we added a fan inside too!
Anyhoo, some of our kids are coming over for dinner, so no crafting today, but I will for sure be back in the craft room tomorrow. Got lots of Father's Day cards to make. Thanks for stopping by today :)

2Sketches4U - Ultimate Card Showdown!

2009-06-02T21:55:00.005-05:00

Well, it's finally here! The 2S4U Ultimate Card Showdown!! This is the 'party' going on over at 2S4U to celebrate their 1st anniversary. I'm so exited to join in the fun and create a card based on Laura's 'ausome' sketch #27 this week. I flipped the sketch on it's side to create my card. There are so many details to this card, so I'm just gonna say.....this one was some work! I hope you all will check out all the amazing cards by Laura and the DT this week and the prize packages for this 1st anniversary are ROCKIN'!!! So, click on my title above and go check it out! Thanks for stopping by today :)

Day #92 - Super Sketchy Sunday

2009-05-31T18:25:00.006-05:00

It's day #92 at 365 Cards and it's another sketch. Pam gaves us a great sketch today and I'm so happy to get to participate. My BFF, Julie and her daughter "Rach" came over this morning and stayed until late afternoon, helping me organize my craft room. We went thru a kazillion sheets of paper, tons of flowers, bling, chipboard, rub-ons, die cuts, bling, ribbon and tons of other stuff and IT IS ALL DONE!! Thank you so much guys, the help was much, much appreciated!!

So, here is my card for today's sketch. The paper is from Basic Grey. I love this paper! I cut out the "flower" from one sheet of paper AND the little bee. I added a rub on and scored a line at the bottom. The little bee is popped up off the paper. I'm not sure why some of my pics you can click on and see the larger version, but then others you can't. Anyone know the answer? Anyhoo, this one won't work if you click on it. The sentiment says "honey bunch". Thanks for stopping by today, and as always, your comment really DO support my habit :)

Day #91 - Front & Center

2009-05-30T09:49:00.003-05:00

Today's challenge at 365 Cards is to keep all of your elements in the center of the card. Well, I needed a birthday card today for my daughter-in-law, so I took advantage of the challenge. I used some cool BG paper from the Lime Rickey collection, a tag from Anna Griffin, a bird that a friend cut for me on her Cricut, a couple pieces of BG chipboard and some pearls and glitter. I also added a butterfly punched with the Martha Stewart punch. The sentiment is a rub-on that I adhered and then cut out. I did add one little pearl in the corner because for some reason my paper tore. Oh well, cover it up and move on :) Thanks for stopping by today!

Awards from my blogging buds...

2009-05-29T20:55:00.004-05:00

Well, I have been a little MIA this week. The trip last weekend took a little toll on me and I've just been taking a little break from crafting this week. I've worked all week, come home and enjoyed the basketball playoff games and most nights stayed up way past my bedtime trying to watch the end of these games. Why they come on so late is beyond me! Anyway, while I've been on my R&R break, I have received some awards from some very special blogging buddies. Here they are, in no particular order:

From Jeannie. Now, Jeannie is one of the happiest bloggers that I know. She absolutely makes the cutest, most fun cards each and every day AND she is silly cute! She has the happiest spirit and I love visiting her blog every day to see what she has crafted for us to view AND to get a "have a happy day" from her. Do check her out at http://dragonflyjourneys.blogspot.com/. She will definetly lift your spirits. Jeannie has given me the "Honest Scrap Award". The rules for this award are: 1) I must thank the person who gave me the award and list their blog and link
2) I must list 10 honest things about myself so here goes....

1. I love chocolate. I don't care what kind, I just love it all!
2. I absolutely, with all my heart, LOVE being a grandmother.
3. I love Auburn Football and basketball.
4. I never went to college. I regret it now, but at the time I was done with school!
5. I've been working since I was 15. Full time since I was 18. (and I will be 48 this year!)
6. I would love to own a scrapbooking store.
7. I would like to be an SU demonstrator, I just don't have the clients for it locally.
8. I would love to be a better stamper.
9. I wish I could learn Photoshop Elements. I have the software, but I need lessons bad!
10. I love paper crafting and all of the wonderful friends I have made thru doing this craft and my blog.

Now, on to the next award. This one is from Maz. Now, let me just tell you....Maz is aMAZing!! She creates some of the most beautiful cards and gifts I've ever seen. She is so blessed with a creative mind. I wonder sometimes, "how did she think of that?!" Maz is also so very kind and always leaves me such thoughtful messages. Do yourself a favor and check out her fabulous creations at http://natures-workshop.blogspot.com/. Maz has awarded me the "Gift of Love Award". There are no specifics with this award you just need to pass it onto 5 people. What a lovely award. Thank you so much Maz!! So, I will pass this award along to some 'ausome' ladies who always leave me the "gift of love" with their warm and friendly messages for me:

Ashley.......http://eatingcheetos.blogspot.com/.....(The best writer on the www and my very dear friend)
Amanda.....http://mandersmusings.blogspot.com/ (Married, in school, raising a son and still finds time to be too funny. Also, an amazing digital scrapper!)
Carol.........http://southernbellesmom.blogspot.com/ (Aymee's mom - my Alabama friend - and a new, but fantastic paper crafter!)
Enfys........http://going-buggy.blogspot.com/ (what can I say? WOW! Incredible crafter, stamper, and a very funny gal!)
Chrissy....http://chrissyscricutcorner.blogspot.com/ (one of my first blogging buddies, Chrissy makes the best gift baskets ever! She's also been recently added to a design team and she's churning out some fabulous DT stuff!)

Be sure to stop by and visit all of these wonderful ladies. It is certainly worth your time to visit!

Well, I will do one card tomorrow morning as it is my daughter-in-law's birthday tomorrow. Then, we're off to the party in the afternoon. We're having a crawfish boil. How fun is that?! Then on Sunday, my BFF is coming over and she is going to help me re-organize my craft room. I will owe her BIG TIME!! So, won't post much this weekend, but I should be ready to go again on Monday for sure. Have a great weekend and as always, thanks for stopping by!

It was a great trip!

2009-05-26T11:39:00.013-05:00

So, we're back from North Carolina and it was a great trip! It was great to see my dad and his wife, Linda and several other family members. We enjoyed great food, conversation and even a couple of games of Scrabble (which I won by the way! I am the Scrabble queen!!). We enjoyed our time with Maggie too! That was the first time she had ever met her great grandad and she seemed to warm up to "Papa" quite well. So, I have a few pics to show you. Enjoy these and I'll be back later with a card or two. Hope you all had a great holiday weekend and thanks for stopping by!

First up.....Maggie chillin' out in the RV and watching a Disney movie.

Next up.....Maggie "driving" the RV! (Well, not really. We were sitting in a parking lot, but hey....SHE thought she was driving!)

Next up....Maggie showing off her two bottom teeth AND two new ones coming in!

All the little cousins, pretty in pink!

And lastly, the whole bunch of us together..................

Laura's Sketch #26 and a HUGE SURPRISE!!!

2009-05-22T21:38:00.007-05:00

First off, Laura gave us another rockin' sketch this week. Here's my take on it:

Now, for the HUGE SURPRISE.......................drum roll please................2S4U IS HAVING THEIR 1ST BIRTHDAY!!! And to celebrate, on June 1st they are going to launch The 1st Annual 2 Sketches 4 You Ulitimate Card Showdown and it is going to be the biggest and most fantastic card challenge competition imaginable. OMG!!!! Here is the invite:

Here are the Deets:

What: 1st Annual 2 Sketches 4 You Ultimate Card Showdown!

When: June 1st 2009

Where: 2 Sketches 4 You (http://2sketches4you.blogspot.com/)

What: A Card Showdown that will run for a period of 5 Weeks

What's up for grabs you ask - well for starters here is the... Grand Prize
One lucky cardmaker is going to win ALL of this:

PEOPLE!!!!!!!! THIS IS OVER $500 WORTH OF GOODIES!!!! There will be ONE winner of this grand prize...........but hold on to your craft knife..............along the way goodies will be given away to finalists, random entries and of course Card of the Week! OMG!!!! PEOPLE......DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS!! BE AT 2S4U ON JUNE 1ST!! (or you're just plain crazy!)

Hey.....We are off to pick up Maggie and her parents early tomorrow morning and we're going on an RV roadtrip. (Have any of you seen that movie "RV" with Robin Williams? Hillarious!). Anyhoo, we are off for Maggie to meet her Great Grandad (my dad) for the very first time! It's a short trip, as we will come back on Monday, but we are looking forward to a great visit. So...I will be back here on Tuesday, hopefully with some pics of our trip. So, everyone have a safe and happy holiday weekend! Hugs and thanks for stopping by!! :)

ICS #17

2009-05-21T21:02:00.004-05:00

Great sketch from Dawn this week! I needed another grad card, so I thought this was the perfect sketch to use. I used some scraps on this one, scuffed up the edges of the paper, added some rubbons, a little marquee tag, some twine and done! This was a quick one as I need it tomorrow (yikes!). So, run on over to ICS (http://icsketches.blogspot.com/) and check out all the DT cards this week. They are stunning!!

A little notebook and a blog change

2009-05-20T20:50:00.003-05:00

So, I made this notebook for a friend's daughter's birthday. Her name is Heather and she is a working mom with a little girl that's about 18 months old. So, I thought "this crazy life" was the perfect quote on this book! Heather's birthday was yesterday, so I know it's safe now to post her little gift.

Next.........have you noticed the changes to my blog? My header and my sidebar headings have been updated AND I have a "link to me" button (grab the code and add it to your blog if you'd like). My daughter-in-law, Bekah, gave me the name of a friend of hers and within just a couple of days, my blog was done!! Her friends name is Rachel and I think she did a FABULOUS job with my blog! I'm soooo happy with it! Now, Rachel is just getting started with "blog makeover's", so I'm not really advertising that for her as of now, but I do wish you would visit HER blog. She is a mom that works from home and she has some of THE BEST stories and "helpful hints" about raising children (and other things). So, do yourself a favor and give her a visit. You'll be glad you did! Check her out here: http://www.graspingforobjectivity.com/

Let me know what you think of my blog changes. Thanks for stopping by!

Challenges - 3 Squared

2009-05-20T20:37:00.004-05:00

One card for three challenges today. That may be a new one for me! This card is for:

365 Cards - Day #80 - Plaid - use plaid on your card
365 Cards - Day #81 - Squares - use at least 5 squares on your card
The Pink Elephant - Challenge #15 - Monograms/Letters

I started with some Basic Grey plaid paper and added some green and red cardstock and then the D monogram, cut from the Base Camp Cricut cartridge. I added some colored twine and a charm that I made using shrink plastic. Then, I cut some metal into squares and added some washers that I colored using alcohol inks. I think it's a good "manly" card for Dad. What do you think? Thanks for stopping by!

Guest Designer Today :)

2009-05-18T10:48:00.000-05:00

It's Manufacturers Monday at 365 Cards and

well, I just have to give a huge THANK YOU to Pam over at 365 cards inviting me to be the guest designer today and I am just so exited about it! Pam asked me to make a card using mostly one manufacturer. So, I chose my beloved Basic Grey. The patterned paper is from the "ausome" Offbeat collection. The chipboard sticker shapes (all of them) are from the Porcelain collection. Basic Grey makes so many different lines and you really can mix and match them and get a great result. So, I hope you like my card and thanks again for the opportunity to be the GD today at 365 Cards! If you haven't participated at 365 Cards you are really missing out on opportunities for inspiration, encouragement, making new friends, and getting lot's of cards made! So, go on, get on over there and get started.............http://365cards.blogspot.com/(Oh....I've also now added a pic of me on my sidebar - so now you can 'see' who you're blogging with!) Thanks for stopping by today!!

Day #78 - Super Sketchy Sunday

2009-05-17T13:13:00.003-05:00

Another sketch today and let me tell ya, this one wasn't easy! Pam really pulls that creativity out of us in so many ways and today's challenge was a REAL challenge! I've used some Basic Grey papers and I think the bottom paper is Paper Studio. The chipboard piece going diagonally is by My Mind's Eye. The marquee paper is Anna Griffin and the stamp is Stampabilites. I added a little ribbon from my stash and I was finished. Whew! I stared at this sketch forever this morning and wasn't sure about it, but.....it's done. Thanks so much for stopping by and for your super nice comments!

CP Sketch #15

2009-05-17T10:38:00.004-05:00

A great sketch is on tap this week at Card Patterns. I just bought some new Pink Petticoat images, so I wanted to use one today. This image is from the "In my Garden" designs and I just love these little birds! My paper today is by Sassafrass and American Crafts. The little flower is also Sassafrass. The ribbon is from my stash. I colored this image with my Sharpies and then I glittered the little birds with some of that fantastic Martha Stewart irridescent white glitter. I also chalked around the edges. Go check out Card Patterns this week as the DT has given us some 'ausome' inspiration! Thanks for stopping by!

Day 76, Four Corners

2009-05-16T22:52:00.004-05:00

I'm catching up on Friday's challenge at 365 cards with this Four Corners card. This is a simple card, but I think the image packs a big punch. This is the newest image from Pink Petticoat and I can see me using this one often. Especially with the wedding season just ahead. I chalked the flowers on her dress and her bouquet and also her hair. Then, I added a fine glitter to her dress and veil. (Click on it to see it closer because the glitter adds so much!). I added my "bling" to the 4 corners. Well, I'm off to bed now and I'm looking forward to a full day of crafting tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by!

Make a Note of It!

2009-05-16T13:26:00.003-05:00

Today's challenge at 365 Cards is to incorporate notepaper on your card. Well, I had one more teacher thank you card to make, so I thought this was the perfect challenge. I used American Crafts paper, some ribbon, twine, gem clips and a button from my stash and finished it off with the note paper. The scallop was cut with the Cricut using the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge.

Well, I've done another paper project today that I can't share just yet. (It's for someone's birthday...shhh). I'll share on Wednesday. It's a very rainy day here today, so I'm having a grand time just hanging out and creating in the old craft room. Hope you're having a great Saturday and thanks for stopping by!

Christmas Cards All Year Round - May Challenge

2009-05-16T11:38:00.005-05:00

I'm posting this a little late, but better late than never I guess :) The challenge at CCAYR this month is to use flowers on your Christmas card. This is my DT card. I cut the poinsettias with the Cricut using the Joys of the Season cartridge and added stickles. The pp is by Paper Studio. The little branches and the sentiment are rub-ons by American Crafts. Be sure to check out CCAYR for all the great cards by the DT this month. Also, you should join us in participating this month in the challenge. You can get some great Christmas cards done and be ahead of the game this year! Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Birthday for Dad

2009-05-13T21:24:00.003-05:00

No challenge card today, just a birthday card for a friend's dad. The paper, circle and tag is Heidi Swapp - World Traveler. I added some twine and a little bling. Quick post tonight as I was late getting home. My local "pretty paper store" is closing and I'm devastated about it! I went by and took advantage of the 50% and 75% off closing sale. I got some great buys, but I'm still sad about the closing. Now I will be held hostage by Michael's and Hobby Lobby. However, I did find out that a new JoAnn's is opening, so I'm anxious to visit. Anyway, thanks for stopping by!

ICSketches #16 and "Trio Tuesday"

2009-05-12T20:13:00.004-05:00

I found this great sketch blog called Inspirational Card Sketches and I decided to play with Sketch #16. (Click on my title to go check out the site and all the beautiful DT work!). Dawn gave us an incredible sketch and though mine doesn't follow it exactly, I think it's close enough. This card is also for 365 Cards "Trio Tuesday". The trio recipe is circle, scallop and bling. Well, I added all three to this "nurses" card. This card is for a friend to give to her sister who is graduating this weekend from nursing school. I hope she likes it. Nurses are so important and are very "patient" people and they really are "priceless". Be sure to go check out ICS and 365 Cards for some really fabulous inspiration!!

Kazan's Sketch #26 and Musical Monday

2009-05-11T20:35:00.007-05:00

Kazan gives us another fab sketch today at 2S4U! And at 365 Cards is "Musical Monday". We were asked to use music on our card in some way. Well, my sister asked me to make a couple of teacher Thank You cards for her daughter's teachers. So, I found a free music sheet download of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and went with it. I used some notebook paper, the downloaded music sheet, an apple cut from Happily Ever After (Cricut), some ribbon, twine and a button from stash. I wasn't sure about the music thing, but I think it turned out ok. Thanks for stopping by and thanks so much for your super nice comments!

Card Patterns Sketch #14

2009-05-10T20:18:00.007-05:00

Great sketch over at CP this week! I used some great grad paper that I picked up the other day. Lots of family and friends are graduating over the next couple of weeks, so this card should come in handy. I just added some ribbon, buttons and twine from my stash, a rub-on and I cut the scallop from Plantin Schoolbook (Cricut). Be sure to go over and check out the DT cards this week......pure eye candy!! Thanks for stopping by ;)

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T15:58:00.003-05:00

Just want to wish all of my blogging buddies a very Happy Mother's Day! I hope all of you are having a fantastic day with your family and friends. I myself enjoyed a great morning with my husband out on our local lake. It was so peaceful and the weather was perfect. We didn't catch any fish, but who cares? It was a great morning and I needed the peace and quiet. We came home to the phone ringing and it was my son from Georgia. This is Maggie's dad and it was great to hear from him (and Maggie!). As soon as I hung up the phone, it rang again and was another of my son's. At the same time, my baby son (19 yrs old!) was pushing a card in my face. Boys! I love them all and my daughter too! It's great to be a mom and I wouldn't trade it for anything. So, mom's.....have a great day and do something fun today! Hugs....

Day 67 - "Think Pink"

2009-05-06T20:02:00.006-05:00

So, today's challenge is to use pink. Well, I don't make many baby cards and my friend suggested that I make one with the pink theme, so I did. I love the lace on this card. I picked it up somewhere and I can't remember where, so I will be on a mission to find more! It was on a cardboard thingy with about 4 other types of lace. Anyhoo, the little hippo is from Fancy Pants, the "baby" is cut from New Arrival (Cricut) and the little button is from my stash. The paper is from Heidi Swapp and I just pierced around 2 sides. Thanks for stopping by!

Day 66 - You are there; I am here

2009-05-05T20:48:00.005-05:00

Pam really challenged us today at 365 Cards. We were to use the sentiment.."You are there and I am here". Well, my BFF said to make it for her to send to her son who is away at school. So, that's exactly what I did! However, when we discussed it at work, we had it saying "I am here and you are there" and then she came up with the inside words. Well, me and my old self did it just the opposite (by mistake of course), so I had to come up with the inside. Well, I know how much she loves her son, so I think my words on the inside will be just fine with her. I used some yummy patterned paper by "My Little Shoebox". The arrows were cut from Graphically Speaking (Cricut). The lettering on the front are rub-ons and I had to do each letter separately (tedious). The little heart and cloud on the inside is a punch out on a sheet by Fancy Pants. So, thanks for stopping by today!

Day #65....Mother's Day card

2009-05-04T20:24:00.004-05:00

I still have a few more Mother's Day cards to make for friends, so the challenge today at 365 Cards was perfect! One of the guys at work needed a card for his mom that didn't have alot of heavy embellishments, as he has to mail the card to his mom. I think this one fits the bill. The marquis was cut from Storybook (Cricut) and the scalloped circle was cut from Mini Monograms. Thanks for stopping by!

Another FABULOUS Lady!

2009-05-03T16:10:00.005-05:00

Isn't she just FAB?! I just love these little shopping ladies. How about this for another Mother's Day card? I know MY mom is fabulous and I'm sure yours is too! The letters are peppered with that great Martha Stewart ultra fine glitter and the little black ribbon is velvet.

Thanks for stopping by!

Give a girl.....

2009-05-03T13:41:00.005-05:00

This little lady is fabric - yes....fabric! My new blogging buddy, Enfys, turned me on to this fabulous fabric from Loralie Designs called 'gone shopping'. Enfys was also kind enough to give us all directions on how to use this great fabric on a card. You just use a glue stick and stick them to cardstock. Leave it overnight and then cut it out and go with it! I LOVE THIS FABRIC!! Isn't she precious? I thought this would make a good Mother's Day card. I have more, so I'll be back with another lady later. Also, go check out the FAB cards that Enfys has made with these ladies and others here: http://going-buggy.blogspot.com/ (The sentiment says "Give a girl the right pair of shoes and she can change the world".) Thanks for stopping by!

Day #64 - Super Sketchy Sunday

2009-05-03T11:51:00.008-05:00

We had a great sketch today at 365 Cards. I used some paper from Chatterbox, the 'vine' is cut from Joys of the Season (Cricut), the sentiment is from my stash and I added a little bling. Thanks for stopping by!

Mother's Day??

2009-05-02T20:28:00.006-05:00

I think this one could

be a Mother's Day card.

What do you think?

Paper and

Sentiment: Fancy Pants

Ribbon: From stash

Bird: Cricut - Zooballoo

Owl: Cricut - Happily Ever After

You can click on this one for a closer

look. Thanks for stopping by!

The Good, The Bad and 365 Cards

2009-05-02T19:12:00.005-05:00

What a week! It started out great as I went to my sister's elementary school on Wednesday and taught 2nd graders about scrapbooking. There were 113 students and we had a blast! I showed them several books of mine, including a Disney album I made for our family's trip about 5 years ago. Of course they loved the Disney album! I also got them started on making their own paper sack album that will be all about them. They were so excited and as they began making their albums, I was very impressed with their creativity. Hopefully the teachers will take some pics and if so, I told them I would post them on my blog.

Thursday......not such a great day. In fact, it was horrible. I went to my hip doctor and had to have injections in both hips. It was so painful that I cried like a baby and had to sit in the parking lot for 1/2 hour before I could drive myself home. I iced up my hips all day and by Friday morning, I was feeling much better. Then..........last night I started trying to bling out my blog. Well, if you read my post below you'll see what happened with that! Also, do you guys remember that "gravity wave" that I told you about a few weeks ago? Well, ever since then our internet and home phones have been wacked. My husband finally called the phone company today and they are sending someone out on Wednesday. Wednesday?! Anyways, our net is up and down and that doesn't make it easy to post to the blog.

Well, now that I've bored you with all of THAT............today's challenge at 365 Cards is to use 8 blooms on a card. Well, I had the perfecto paper for this one. This paper is by Making Memories and it's called "Glitter Flower Stripe JustChillin' Girl". Not sure if you can tell, but the "blooms" are glittered as well as the little dots. It's really quite pretty in person. Well, I have tons of Mother's Day cards to make for friends so I'll be back often this weekend. Thanks for stopping by!!

I'm Done!

2009-05-02T17:39:00.004-05:00

I purchased this online class to "Bling out my Blog" and I have been working with it since yesterday. Well, today it all went downhill. Then I thought, well.......I still have my old template back up........NOT!! I had it, but it had been changed. So, I've spent the best part of today getting it back like it was. Needless to say, I am done with trying to update the look of my blog. I don't know blog code and I don't want to know it! So.......can anyone out there point me in the direction of someone that can "bling out my blog" for me?! I am willing to pay a fee to get it done. What I want is very simple, but I just can't do it myself. So, is there anyone out there??????...Anyone???

FANTABULOUS BLOG CANDY ALERT!!!

2009-05-01T19:04:00.002-05:00

Steph has had 10,000 hits on her blog and she is giving away a $100 gift card to the place of YOUR CHOICE!!!! How fantastic is THAT??!! Click on the title to this post and go check it out! Go now....go now....go now!!! She's picking a winner on May 9th, so hurry!!

Maggie & Daddy 4-25-09

2009-04-27T22:14:00.002-05:00

Just had to post this newest pic of the Magster and her daddy. How cute is SHE?? Thanks for stopping by!

I Made Top 5 Again at Card Patterns!!

2009-04-27T12:38:00.002-05:00

I'm so honored to be in the top 5 again at CP!! All of the cards for Sketch #11 were too fantastic!! Thanks ladies for the honor. I look forward to creating something for Sketch #12. If you haven't participated in these sketches, you really should go check them out. The prizes are 'ausome'!! Go check out all the Sketch 11 cards here: http://cardpatterns.blogspot.com/2009/04/magnificent-monday.html?showComment=1240853880000#c5313920552305043836

Thanks for stopping by!!

Back to work...........

2009-04-26T17:26:00.004-05:00

The wedding was beautiful, Maggie was a joy to have, and now it's time to get back to work. I will be posting sparingly for the next couple of days. I am working on a paper sack scrapbook to share with some 2nd graders. My sister teaches 2nd grade and she and the other 2nd grade teachers have asked me to come to the school this week to talk to the students about scrapbooking. (That will be 113 students!) They will all be making a couple of 12X12 pages for their parents for Mother's and Father's day AND they will also be making a paper sack scrapbook about themselves. I think this is a great way to get them to use their imaginations and a great tool to get them to write down their thoughts and such. After all, journaling is the most important part of scrapbooking, next to the photos! I wanted to make a book as an example of what they will be creating. I will also be sharing some of my stash with them (scrap papers, embellies and stickers), to help them out with their books. So, I'm off to work on my book. I visit the school on Wednesday, so I should be back by Thursday to post again. Have a great week and as always, thanks for stopping by!!

More Awards Today!!

2009-04-24T12:23:00.006-05:00

WOW!! I can't believe how many wonderful new blog world friends I have! Three of these beautiful, creative ladies have given me awards this week. First up is from Chrissy......http://simply-one-of-a-kind.blogspot.com/. The name of her blog says it all.........One of a Kind! Chrissy is an incredibly talented creator of cards and other paper goods. She is so kind to leave me such nice notes and I appreciate her input. Be sure to go check out her beautiful work. Here is my award from Chrissy:
Next, I received an award from Fi. Now Fi is one cool lady! She does the best cards ever!! She is also so very thoughtful to stop by every day and leave lovely comments on my cards and such. She's also offered to help me out with my broken light bulb.......all the way from Australia!! Now that is one cool lady!! Fi gave me this award..........

Isn't that the cutest ladybug?! You can find Fi's amazing creations here: http://mycraftyspot.blogspot.com/. Be sure to pop over.

The last award today is from my Alabama friend Aymee. This girl is super fantastic!! She doesn't live in Alabama anymore, but still has family here. I met Aymee about a year ago thru another website and we've been buds ever since. SHE IS INCREDIBLE!! She not only has a crafty blog, but she has a sketch blog too that is fantabulous! If you ever need inspiration, go check out her two sites: http://southernbellescrapper.blogspot.com/ and http://southernbellesketcher.blogspot.com/. Aymee is also on the DT at the Cuttlebug Spot. Here is the award that Aymee sent my way:

Thanks for the award Aymee! Love ya girlfriend!

So, I've decided to pass out the cute little "Ladybug Award" to the following bloggers. But first, the rules:

1. The winners should put the logo on their blog.

2. On your blog, link the person you received your award from.

3. Nominate 7 other blogs for the award.

4. Put links of those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs you've awarded.

Tracy............http://camsmum-tg.blogspot.com/

Maz...........http://www.blogger.com/profile/01814855517721816863

Chrissy.........http://chrissyscricutcorner.blogspot.com/

Amy..........http://tsurutadesigns.blogspot.com/

Birgit...........http://createdbybb.blogspot.com/

Cheryln..........http://cheryljunegirl.blogspot.com/

Kristen..........http://scrapinkris.blogspot.com/

All of these ladies are so crafty, inspiring, funny, encouraging and downright fun to visit. So, do yourself a favor and hop on over and check them out! Thanks for stopping by!!

Recipe card, Maggie and a Wedding......(WHAT?!)

2009-04-24T12:07:00.006-05:00

At 365 Cards today, it's recipe day. Here is the recipe:

5x5 card (solid colored card stock - may be smooth or textured)

4x4 patterned paper (you may alter the edges if you'd like)

1 shape (circle, square, star, heart, etc.) - must be solid color

3 jewels

alpha stickers

Well, when I saw "1 shape", I knew what I wanted to use. I purchased these puzzle piece cards about 2 years ago and I've never used them. So, I took one piece out, glittered it up and attached it to the center of my card. This challenge may "look" simple, but it really was a challenge not to add more "stuff". So, here is my card..........

I'm getting a shadow in my pic because I only have one studio light now. (The other one is broken - see my last post). I cut the scalloped square using the Cricut and the Mini Monograms cartridge. Anyhoo...........Maggie is back this weekend!!!! YEA!!!! I don't normally get to see Mags twice in the same month, but my mom is getting married this weekend, so Maggie is coming for the wedding. My mom divorced some time ago and believe it or not she met up again with her very first love. They had not seen each other in 53 YEARS!! As soon as they layed eyes on each other, it was love all over again. So, tomorrow is the wedding and we are all very excited and happy for them. So, I may not get to post tomorrow, but I'll be back on Sunday for sure. Thanks for stopping by!

Day 54, Recycled Elements

2009-04-23T20:43:00.008-05:00

Our challenge at 365 Cards today is to use recycled elements on our cards (or other creations). My card base comes from paper that a local business was going to trash. Well, after looking at it and seeing that it already EVEN had the sentiment on it....HOW COULD I LET IT GO IN THE TRASH?! It also has a beautiful sheen to it. So....I used it for my card. The sentiment is on the top left corner. (click on the photo to make it larger so you can read it). My tree is made from the cardboard backing on a lined notebook pad. I go around the office stealing them from my co-workers (shhh!). The 'leaves' are from the classified ads from last week's local newspaper and punched with the Martha Stewart heart punch. Kept it simple today. Thanks for stopping by!!

"Monkey Business"

2009-04-22T19:41:00.008-05:00

Today is Fun with Fruit at 365 Cards. I chose to use this little monkey with his bananas. (The bananas are quite small, but you can click on the pic to enlarge). The monkey, bananas and sentiment are all cut from Animal Kingdom. The vine is cut from Zooballoo. The papers are My Mind's Eye (seems to be my fav lately - next to BG!). Sorry that the pic isn't very bright. While photographing this card, I knocked over one of my lamps and broke it. It's one of the little lighting lamps that came with my portable photo studio. If anyone knows where to buy a replacement bulb, let me know. :(

Thanks for stopping by!

The Karma Award

2009-04-22T07:17:00.003-05:00

My new friend, Bex, gave me this award today. Here is what it means.....

The Karma Award: These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind of bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Well, Bex is truly one of these type bloggers. She is so friendly and so encouraging to me and all her other blogging buddies. Now, here are the rules for this award.... deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award. So, I am passing this award on to:

Jeannie........http://dragonflyjourneys.blogspot.com/

Jana.....http://icantwanna.blogspot.com/

Jacque......http://jacque4u2c.blogspot.com/

Fi.......http://mycraftyspot.blogspot.com/

Audrey........http://organisedmess.blogspot.com/

Gloria.......http://gloriascraps.blogspot.com/

Amanda Mac........http://mandersmusings.blogspot.com/

Velta.........http://www.impressionsbyv.blogspot.com/

So, thanks again Bex and thanks to all of my blogging buddies. You all have become such great friends and you always put a smile on my face every time you stop in. Hugs!!

Trio Tuesday

2009-04-21T19:47:00.006-05:00

Today is Trio Tuesday at 365 Cards. Our
Trio
"recipe"
is a bloom,
a brad and a circle.
I just recently purchased some fab Scenic
Route papers, so I decided to use them here.
The sentiment is from My Mind's Eye and the oval journaling tag is Heidi Grace. The brad was in my stash and I made the "bloom". It's made with ribbon and some thread. I guess the circle would be the polka dots OR the brad OR the journaling tag. Now, for the best part of this card.......check out the 'ribbon' at the top. It's not ribbon............it's elastic! Yes, ladies..........like the kind around your panties or those (ugh) girdles that grandma used to wear. I needed some cream colored ribbon and I was out, so hey....I improvised. I had some of this stuff in a bag of ribbon remnants that I bought so I added it on the card, frayed the edges and went with it. Go with watcha got is what I say! (Click on the pic to see it larger and you can see the elastic).

Thanks for stopping by!

"Picture This" and Laura's sketch #24

2009-04-20T21:24:00.007-05:00

Today's challenge at 365 Cards is "Picture This". The photo shown above was our inspiration and is just gorgeous. I recently bought the perfect paper to use for this one (at least I think it is). I used Laura's sketch #24 at 2S4U for this week (shown below). The patterned papers are Jenni Bowlin and Paper Studio. The ribbon is some that I picked up at Michael's. I used a circle sticker from Creative Cafe and backed it with a scalloped circle, cut with Mini Monograms. The sentiment is computer generated. Thanks for stopping by!

Card Patterns, Sketch #11

2009-04-19T17:53:00.008-05:00

Card Patterns has a great sketch up for this week. I thought I would make a card to say Thank You to a teacher. I love teachers and without them where would all of us be?? I have several teachers in my family......my sister, my daughter-in-law, my sister-in-law and my daughter is about to get her Bachelor's degree in elementary education (next month!!). So, I added a little apple to this one from my Happily Ever After cartridge. The marquee was cut from The Calligraphy Collection cart along with the vine. The arrow was cut the other day and I can't remember which cart I used. (old age setting in!). The patterned paper is My Mind's Eye and the craft paper is from my stash. So, head on over to Card Patterns and check out the sketch challenge. (click on my title). There are some very talented folks over there! The sketch is shown above and here is my card.............

Thanks for stopping by!