Calendar

Every year Kathy Buchanan does a calendar swap for the upcoming year and I have abeen a part of this for a number of years, I think since I have been an angel. I usually do two so I can get 2 complete calendars back, one for me and one for a gift - dear granddaughter got one this year. I choose August and May as my months this year. The only thing we can copy is the calendar itself each individual calendar has to be stamped and colored, so we start on them in August. I was pleased with mine this year and wanted to share with you.

Wonder and Joy

My BFF had foot surgery a couple of weeks ago on her left foot and I thought this little girl would be perfect for a feel better card. I made her one and it never arrived so I made another and gave it to her in person when we had lunch recently. The little girl is sticking out her left foot like look how pretty it is and my friend had bunion surgery on the left foot, so she will certainly have something to smile about when all the swelling goes down.

Christmas Joy

This is last Christmas card for another holiday season, I got this set from (well lets just say a competitor) as I loved the vintage greeting card feel the set had. This little girl was so much fun to color using my copics, then I used Basic Grey Jovial line for my bg layout. She is on a way to a friends mailbox (hope you got this Pat). May everyone one of my followers, friends and family have a blessed and Merry Christmas.

Congrats Paige!!!

What a fun weekend we had. The picture is of my beautiful oldest granddaughters graduation day - she got her BSN in Nursing (hmmm...following Grandmas footsteps), I am so proud of her, she has overcome a lot of adversity in her 23 years but she is going to be a super nurse. The other is a picture of my youngest granddaughter, (Megan) her half sister who is 9. Megan is my little card designer and loves to draw and read. We had a day of the pinning ceremony then the graduation and best of all the party. The girls danced their buns off. I made her card with a stamp called Nurse Anya from Greeting Farms, isn't she fun, then my dear friend Cheryl cut the letters with her Cricut thanks so much Cheryl. My daughter and Megan drove in Friday from South Bend IN. graduation on Sat. and we had Christmas on Sunday, then Paige and her boyfriend came Sunday evening for more Christmas celebration. What a weekend filled with many blessings.

December Blog Hop

We are having our monthly blog hop at Paper Wings and this months theme was to be stress free so as to not cause any additional holiday stress/rush. The Angel Company is having a super promotion this month with not only double, but triple (3) free GWP's or 3 PWP's so this months theme was perfect to showcase our GWP/PWPs. I chose Diamond Ornament and using my stamp-a-ma-jig I made a pattern using the diamond ornament. I stamped on ivory with black, added some red ribbon that I pleated, then stamped and cut out Only for You and pop-dotted it on the ribbon. Had to add a bit of bling so i added 3 red crystal blings to the center. Follow the links to see what other angels have created with their GWP's or PWP's
Chelsea
Christine
Tina
Betty
Laurie
Angela
Carol
Seleise

Merriest Wishes

This one is for my "boss" at work who is also a very dear friend so I hope she doesn't go to my blog until I get this to her - I love coloring these snow people - this is a set I keep out all year long as it has a lot of possibilities and love the words. I "cased" Mischelles coloring scheme on this snowman and love how it turned out, I struggle with where to put the shading when using copics but after watching her video and having her gift bag sitting right in front of me while I was coloring it came pretty easily. And I love how it turned out.

Merriest Wishes

I had lunch with a dear friend that I went to nursing school with over - well lets just say a LONG time ago!!! We have remained true dear friends for all these years so I thought this little guy espressed my wishes for her this Christmas. the only problem is - she never got it!!! Somewhere between my house this morning, (I thought I put it in her gift bag), and lunch the card just disappeared. I have searched the house from top to bottom and who knows where it may have ended up. This same thing happened with a get well card I made for a friend that had surgery recently, I mailed it the same day I mailed her christmas card and she got the Christmas card but no get well card.

Get Well

I have "showcased" my dear granddaughters cards before but I have another that I must share. Grandpa has a kidney stone that is "stuck" somewhere between there and here!!! He had one 2 years ago that hospitalized him 4 times. He is currently in no discomfort but he has yet to pass that darn thing. Megan designed him a get well card that is just too cute, we may have another TAC angel in a few years - (she will be 9 in a couple of weeks).

Remember Days Past

Who remembers the set Winter Whimsy T799 - I don't know what catalog this was in but I hung on to it. And who remembers Opalite Inks - well this card uses Opalite Cypress Forest green. No bling, no embellishments and very simple - these were the days of past rememberances.

Penquin GWP

I was playing around with this cute little guy and decided to make a girl too!!! This image is FREE with a $30 purchase and during the month of December "free" is tripled. I colored the little penquins with copic markers - and put the greeting between them, of course had to add a bit of bling. Then stamped blue/pink snowflakes as my background.

Snowflake

I participated in a swap with fellow angels a couple of weeks ago and this is one of my swap cards, I really love doing this technique using Snowflake Impressabilities plate and Tim Holtz sponge applicator, holding the plate firmly in place with one hand I sponged starry night blue ink over the plate. I then embossed the sinle snowflake from Jingle Jolly - layered on white scallop square, and a sheer ribbon with a bit of silver trim. Quick and easy peasy Christmas card.

Just Bee-Cuz

We are planning on attending a 90th birthday party for DHs cousin this weekend so I thought this worked up very nicely for the occasion. I stamped the car on cork then cut out with nexties. I used a free downloadable pattern paper from TAC about a year ago. The sketch I cased from my friend Pat when she sent me a card using this same design. The Happy Birthday is from Vintage Greetings and works very well with this card. I hope he will enjoy not only the card but also his birthday.

Coronado Kids

While clearning out a "spare" stamping closet this weekend I ran across some older christmas cards that I had made. This one is from 2003 and the images are from Coronado Island. They still have these darling lifelike children I used for this card. The Merry Christmas is from Denami. I stamped on glossy cs and colored with markers, used stickles for the sparkle and snowflakes. In the bg you can fainly see a tree line stamped in lt. blue (which doesn't show very well in this scan). I have 6 of these darling children. Isn't it fun to find things you forgot you had???

Poinsettia

Some "weeks" I just don't know where the time goes but the last week was here and gone before I realized that I hadn't posted anything. I "cased" this card (and I can't remember from who), and I love how it turned out. This is a new poinsettia stamp set from TAC and I think it is a beautiful stamp set to work with for the holidays. I also love kraft, ivory and red together. I embossed the focal image in gold, as well as the script, added a bit of gold leafing pen by Krylon around the edge and added just a bit of gold bling and a quick card is completed.

November Blog Hop

It is time for our November Blog Hop at Paper Wings and this time our theme is TAGS. What fun this was. I made a Tag Box - pattern from SplitCoast Stampers this was made with one piece of double sided solid cs, scored, folded, taped, squeezed, but finally all parts fit!!! It has an acetate band that slips around the entire box and holds the tags in their compartments. I made an asst. of 16 tags - all Christmas theme and plan on sending to daughter for her Christmas tags to put on gifts. The card is a Gate-Fold Tag Card - made from a 4 1/4 by 11 piece of cs, I choose Reece DP to decorate my card with and I used Cuddly Christmas for my images on the individual tags. Colored with Copic markers, a bit of red grosgrain ribbon and you have 4 cute little tags inside a card. This was a lot of fun to make and I love how it turned out. Now why not take a peek at what other ideas are in store by following the blog hop;
Rita W.
Laurie U.
Angela K.
Lisa
Teresa
Julie
Chelsea
Tina
Carol N.
Laura

Shirley Hotop

There is a Deck the Halls Blog Hop this weekend over at The Angel Company Papercrafting community and there will a lot of inspiring cards, gift ideas, ornaments and fun. I made this card using one of my new favorite sets Hung on a Tree - when I saw the tree I already knew what I was going to do. I embossed it on Reece DP with gold, then had so much fun decorating it wil bling (I love bling). I embossed the sentiment which is also included in the set on the fron and on the inside I used another sentiment included in the set. I distressed the edges a bit mounted it on our dark green card stock.

A Little Something

This cute little card is made using the Limited Edition set offered in September and I think this little girl is just too cute. her personality reminds of of dear GD so I decided to send her on and put a McDonalds gift card in with the card so she can get a Happy Meal on Grandma. I have had this flower ribbon for quite sometime and thought it would look cute with this image.

Earthquake Cake

Some of my friends have been wondering about the earthquake cake I baked for DH birthday. I took a pic of the "finished" product and here is the recipe. This is my husbands favorite cake.
Earthquake Cake

1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 box German Cake Mix
mix cake as directed on back of box.
1/2 cup softened margarine
8 ounces softened cream cheese (I used reduced fat)
1 box powdered sugar

Spray bottom of 9 x 13 cake pan lightly with Pam cooking spray. Spread 1 cup coconut on the bottom of cake pan, sprinkle 1 cup chopped pecans over coconut. After mixing cake mix according to package directions pour on top of coconut and nuts. Mix 1/2 cup soft oleo, cream cheese and box of powdered sugar - beat until fluffy. Drop by tablespoonfull on cake mix, DO NOT STIR. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. Cake will fall after you remove it from the oven. My DH LOVES it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Of course with using reduced fat cream cheese that makes it "almost" on any diet!!!

Happy Birthday Grandpa

I just had to share this bd card from dear granddaughter who is 8. She loves to draw and write stories so when she told her mom that she wanted to make Grandpas bd card daughter said okay what stamps do you want to use. Well she didn't want to stamp but wanted to draw with her crayons. We laughed so hard when he opened his card, from the saying to the flip on the right corner. The inside says "oh come on, can't you take a joke!!??, Have a great birthday grandpa!!" XOXO love Megan A. The joy of children and grandchildren.

Flavor of Fall Blog Hop

We are having a blog hop at the Angel Company Paper Crafting Community and I made this entry. A friend was over the other day and we were in a creative mood and I "found" my gold leave flakes and forgot how beautiful an image is done with the gold leaf flakes. I choose a 2 retired sets Lucious Leaves and Bookoo Blessings to reflect my flavor of fall thoughts. The strip across the bottom of the card is a piece of scor-pal tape with gold leaf flakes - adheres just great on the tape.

The Places we will Go

Another one using The places you will go. I had this in mind when I borrowed it from Patti that I would make at least 2 cards with this set and I had both ideas in my mind. This one if for DH who is having a birthday today and he is not even home so we will have his cake on Friday, he has requested an earthquake cake - (one of my favorites too). This one I colored with prisma pencils and OMS and added some hubcaps on the wheels and a bit of glitter on the camper and the car. We have a camper but no VW bug - we pull it with this big F150 truck but I thought this turned out pretty cute. This one was a fun one to color and add the clouds and the grass shading.

The Places you will go

I borrowed this set from my friend Patti and made a card for dear granddaughter who will be graduating from Southeast Missouri University in Cape Girardeau with her BSN (nursing) and she is trying to decide where she wants to go!!! I stamped the buildings and colored them with copics and then wrote names of the different hospitals in St. Louis. I used a basic grey DP for the background bottom and tied a bit of scrappers floss around it just for umph!! I hope she enjoys getting this card as much as I enjoyed making it!!!

October Blog Hop

This month our theme at Paper Wings Blog Hop is "anything but an A2 card!!! that left it open to a lot of imagination so I am sure you will be inspired by this months blog hop. For my card I chose to do a side step card - which I never tried before. I had so much fun making this card and it is for my dear GD birthday in Dec. She will be 9 so I didn't make it too cutesy for her now that she is "a big girl". I used Fairy Birthday, and for the words I used For Someone Special and Ordinary Greetings. The DP I close for the dress and darling cupcakes (done with a MS punch) I used TACs new Emma line which is double sided. The next card I made was in Technique Junkie bonus this month and it is a swing card using nesties. This was a super fun card to make also as I used the arsy set from TAC Art Gave Her Wings. I embossed her and did no coloring, just the gold embossing. Why not hop on over and see what everyone else has made this month:
Rita
Angela:
Chelsea
Julie
CindyLou
Carol
Teresa
Lisa

Technique Junkie New Technique

When I receive my bi-monthly technique newsletter I always try to make at least one if not more of the new techniques. This month I tried the Texture Duet - I used the same stamp set Blossoms and Blessings - (I just love this flower) you get 8 images for $19.95This month TAC is offering a "mini" version of this set for $3.95. The purple card is done using Mulberry DP and CS - the image is colored with the shimmer chalks and I spritzed it with our new shimmer spray in frostS317 and IRL it just makes the card shimmer. The pink card I highlighted the cuttlebug embossing with a light pink ink pad - and used some gold cs (cut with a nesties border die) in the middle. Of course had to add just a bit of bling to this card with the 2 crystals colored with copic markers. This flower I colored with Water color crayons and my water brush. When I spritzed it with the shimmer spray it altered the colors on the flower but I think it is just fine - added a bit of character.

Halloween Owls

My MoJo has been on vacation the last week but I did come up with this fun cute card that I adapted for Halloween and I think it turned out very nicely. I used the owl from Be Square T3165 - cut apart the phrase whoo knew so I just stamped the "whoo" and used the "boo to you" from Delightfully Spooky T3348 and used green orange and purple inks a little strip from the Halloween paper pack that TAC used to carry (sorry) and some fun Polka dot ribbon that I had.
Our new family member Stella has taken up quite a bit of my time this past week but she is adapting so nicely to our family lifestyle. She and Bella are enjoying 2 miles walks every morning (so is Mom) and is just fitting right in.

Stella

Have to post the newest member of our family - and here is Stella!!! She is a beautiful Rhodesian Ridgeback that we adopted from Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue. She joins my DH and I plus 3 kitties and our Bella (mixed - Rhodesian Ridgeback). Now I have 4 more paws to get glittered. I made a thank you card (very simple) for her foster mom to let her know that Stella would have a forever home and would be very well taken care of. I wanted the message inside the card to be the focus of the card but still wanted a bit of humor on the front. This set was perfect for the Thank You card. Now off to change my profile to include our newest family member.

Sept. Blog Hop - anything but a card!!!

Sept Blog Hop over at Paper Wings is anything but a card, how much fun is that. Sit back and enjoy all the inspiration for projects other than cards that you can use your stamps and beautiful papers to make. For my projects I made a votive screen using vellum and a "must have" stamp set - Spiders are Seen. I used the chandelier with the cob webs and spiders which was just perfect for this quick and easy project. I cut 2 pieces of vellum 3" by 7" stamped my image and embossed in black on one sheet then held together with glitter brads. I showed the image with the candle lit and I think it is just the spooky for Halloween. Again using a votive (from my local WM)a box of 12 for under $10. I stamped the little frog with the witches hat colored with copics, fussy cut and then using scor-pal tape applied both the patterned ribbon and image. Isn't it the cutest and not at all spooky. For my last project - another quick one I took a piece of 6' x 7 1/2" double sided paper scored it on the 6" side at 2" and 4" then between the 2" and 4" scorline on 1 end cut down 1 1/2 inches on one end. Rounded the corners, taped the sides and bottom together crimped a little at the bottom. Decorated with a retired set - All Seasons Swirls witches hat on punched circles. Found the pencils at local Dollar Tree - 12 for 1.00 and great treats. you could also put pixie sticks or ind. wrapped licorice pieces. I'm sending these to my grandchildren and my little chemoangel boy. Now enjoy the others projects.
Rita
Angela
Lisa
Seleise
Carol
Michelle
Chelsea

Hedgehog Happiness ???

I made this card and just kept adding more and more - hope it isn't too much but it was so...much fun. I used TAC Hostess Set level C Hedgehog Happiness which is free with a $500 workshop. I paperpieced the wagon with our new line of DP Emma which just has a fall feel to it. Then I colored the pumpkins and hedgehog with copic markers (can take as a 1/2 price item) with just a $100 workshop. Added some glitter pen here and there, then used label 10 nestie which worked perfect for this image to cut out the image. Sponged in some lt blue clouds, and used my new MS grass punch (another bd present) thanks DD. Punched out a strip of green grass then put in the edge of the nestie and cut it out so it would fit the oval perfect. Some sheer orange/yellow ribbon and a darling little fabric pumpkin (from my nearest scrapbook store which is now St. Louis). I am thinking I am going to give it to a friend for her birthday - but I can't say who as I know she checks my blog!!

Heiroglyph Horses

This was done for a Sketch over at Paper Wings gallery - you can get a lot of super ideas from this site. I used one of my fav sets Heiroglyph Horses embossed in gold and a saying which is hard to see which says Thanks for bringing out the best in me. Then I used Hemmingway blue DP and used the impressabilities dies called Pepples and ran it through with the wrong side down so the images would be raised then just kissed it with some coffee bean Brillance ink to highlight. I think it turned out pretty cool. I think I will give this to my DH (well okay may have to think about that a moment). Sometimes he tends to bring out the worst in me too!!!

Under the Weather

I have a friend that just found out she has a case of the shingles so I thought this card might cheer her up a bit. This little gal was so much fun to color and dress up. I used out of the box technique to trim her out, a bit of glossy accents on her boots and I had some raindrops to add a bit of accent. I hope my friend enjoys her as much as I enjoyed making her.

Oh Happy Day

I made this cute and simple little card for my ChemoAngel buddy who is 8. I try not to get to complicated with his cards and it is fun to made the "boy" cute cards. I have enjoyed this owl every since I got the prepack of stamps prior to seminar but have just never inked him up. Well he was so much fun to color - I used my prisma colors and OMS - same pencil for both the body and his tummy. Used label 4 nesties and it worked just perfect. Striped paper was from my stash and the scrappers floss added just a bit of fun. The sentiment knock knock on the front was followed by from you know who on the inside. I always add a little written note to him weekly and send him at least one goody fun box a month.

Fibi and Lilly

Don't you just love this darling kitty. Our wonderful artist/designer Mabelle designed 3 sets of these little darlings for our new Inspiration book and they are all a "must have". I made this little gal holding a sunflower and made her in fall colors. With the temps in the 70's today there is promise of fall just around the corner, but afterall it is Sept. That means leaves - lots of leaves as we live in the woods with lots of trees!!! My DH usually just goes over them with the mulcher lawn mower so no raking here.

Spiders are Seen

We have a weekly sketch challenge over at Paper Wings hosted by Maria - a dear fellow angel. I have had this stamp set for a couple of weeks but have not inked it up until today. How much fun is this set - all spider webs, and spiders. Perfect for Halloween. I colored the witched stockings with copic markers, ran the black cs through my cuttlebug embossing folder using the spider web, then punched spiders out of velvet paper with my tonic punch. Along the edge of the witches legs I used my "new" MS punch spider web which I got self for BD (thanks dear daughter for the gift card).

Flowers and Holly

This set has been around a long time and in my opinion it is a classic with so many possibilities. Cheryl had made this card as a wedding card for a co-worker and her theme was sunflowers. I thought this card was perfect for this occasion. We cut out the sunflower after coloring it with prisma colors, pop dotted it up on a scallopped circle edged in gold, mouned on a dk brown scallop circle and then on a beautiful sheer gold paper that Cheryl had inher stash, (and yes she gave me a few sheets for my stash). A brown satin ribbon, the words celebrate and love stamped in burnt umber and gone over in the gold glitter gel pen and what a beautiful card.

Fleur Birdies

Here is the second card my friend Cheryl had cut and ready to make last week and I think it is very nice too, love the Toodle Doo DP with this image. This could be used for Birthday, Get Well, Thinking of you, Just Because, just a number of reasons to send a card.

Peace be Still

My birthday was last week - and for the past couple of years a dear friend (Cheryl) and I get together for each others bd and instead of shopping etc. we spend the day stamping/crafting and then lunch. The hostess has 2-3 projects planned and I had a couple of tricks up my sleeve to share. Cheryl had 3 beautiful cards planned, cut and ready to be stamped when I got there last Thursday. This is the first card we made and I think it is my favorite. We used Peace be Still (one of my favorites in the new catalog). We used burnt umber palette ink, brown and ivory card stock and Anna Griffin DP. The focal flower was cut so the stamped image could be slipped under the flower and I think it is so beautiful. The dk brown satin ribbon completes the card. We broke for lunch at a great little hamburger place with absolutely sandwiches and absolutely GREAT prices, then went back to her house to play with some techniques like "out of the box", coloring with OMS, and using impressabilities dies in our cuttlebug.