Warm Winter Wishes

Hi all!

I made a card yesterday for the guest designer spot on Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra.  I am delighted that Hazel asked me to be the guest designer for December.  She has 2 great challenge blogs and I try participate often.

Of course, my card is a Christmas card.

I used the Bugaboo Candy Cane Bear for my creation.  Colored with Copics and Spicas, it's hard to see the sparkle in the photo.  I used very old HL dp that had some foil decor to it.  I also used solid gold foil paper for mounting everything.  Card base is created from DCWV cs.  I used EK punches for the sentiment, which is from Pink Cat Studio.  I used nesties to cut out the image and an MFT die for the scallop-like border.  The sketch is from MFT as well.

I am a bit under the weather today, though it is good that I am on holiday and don't return to work until Monday.  I was able to watch some good football in between naps!

I am also entering the following challenges:

Pattie's Creations - Christmas

QKR Stampede - It's starting to look a lot like Christmas

Holly Jolly Christmas - One for the boys

Lexi's Creations - Christmas

Hanna & Friends - little presents

Thanks for stopping by!

kathy b

Thanks…Fall….Family….Thanksgiving

Hello everyone,
I hope you haven't been out there battling the sales…I swore off that practice a long time ago.  I've had the pleasure of letting my fingers do the shopping, while watching Hallmark movies in a cozy warm home, sipping hot cider and eating Thanksgiving leftovers.  Now that's the way to go for Black Friday. LOL

Today's card is a tad bit late…it is for my nephew and it is a belated  Thanksgiving card.  My sister is collecting all my cards and asked me to make one, even if a bit late.  I used the sketch from the CCEE Stampers 1348 Sketch Challenge.   I figured leaves were pretty benign…I didn't have any kid friendly Thanksgiving/fall "stuff".  My next stash of cards to make is Christmas…can't wait for that one.  I hope I get the mojo I had for Halloween!  Tomorrow will be an all art day…after I do a little bit of shopping at the small business events planned around here.  For that, I'll brave the crowds. :)

Thanks for stopping by…til tomorrow.  Margaret
Details:
Stamps: Stampin up
Dies: MFT and Spellbinders
Paper: Doodlebug

Brown Paper Packages

Happy Thanksgiving USA folks.

My husband prepared a very good meal for us today (except for the sweet potatoes - I fix that because he won't eat them!).

Hope you had a beautiful day regardless of where you live.

I have a Christmas/holiday card to share tonight.  As I watch my taped versions of The Voice, I create with paper as they sing their hearts out.  I get very inspired...

I used a sketch from Feeling Sketchy.  I was a little unconventional with my colors - I used kraft paper to mount everything, but brought out the Memento Rhubarb Stalk ink and The Cat's Pajamas red/white twine.  The dp is Bazzill Basics.  I used nesties to cut out the sentiment from IO.  I used Spellbinders dies for the fishtails.  The snowflake charm came from my stash.

I am also entering the following challenges:

Charisma Cardz - Christmas

Rhedd & Rosie's - Christmas

Tip Top Tuesday - use kraft card

By Lori Designs - paper

Simon Says Stamp - anything goes

Thanks for stopping by.

kathy b

Balloon Ride

I'm back.  I know it has been awhile.  We had to put sweet Schmitzy to sleep last week and that zapped all the creativity out of me.  He was estimated to be 11 or 12, though we don't know for sure.  We do know that whoever had him before did nothing with him.  He didn't want to be touched and he did not understand any words.  Here's our sweet boy who only spent a year and a half with us but stole our hearts. 

He learned so much in the short time he was with us and he taught us so much, as well.

Rest in peace, sweet Schmitzy.  

You have no more pain and we envision you running like the wind.

I made a very lighthearted card for my return to the blog.

It's a From the Heart image and the sketch is theirs, as well.  I used Doodlebug dp and DCWV cs.  Clouds and fishtail are MFT dies and I used nesties for the image, which is colored with copics.  I used sparkly chalk on the clouds and Spicas on the balloons for glimmer, but it's hard to see in the photo. 

I am also entering the following challenges:

Partytime Tuesday - anything goes

Songbird - Die another day

Get Inky - Onward and Upward

Thanks for stopping by.  Margaret and I will be posting sporadically during the holidays and will return in January on a regular basis.

kathy b

You did it

Hello everyone,
Oh my goodness!  I cannot believe that we have stayed away from the blog as long as we have!  It's been a week.  Between my job and guests coming this week (and I'm still grading for tomorrow), and Kathy having happenings in her life…it's been hard to get settled into creativity.

We are having a couple of students graduating this December so here is one of the cards one of them will get.  It was inspired by the Papertake weekly challenge#85.  I love the sketches where you can use lots of complimentary paper.  It was good to finally create something, though after having been away awhile I have to admit I was a bit intimidated and lacking creativity.  It came back though. :)

Well, glad to be back at it!  See you tomorrow and thanks for reading.  Margaret
PS.  Sorry for the low quality photo.  Aside from managing to lose my camera, now the charger and battery to my good camera are misplaced as well.  Hopefully I should find something by tomorrow!

Details:
Stamps: Northwoods (hat--cut out from a larger stamp); Sentiment from a michaels G series stamp (bargain bin)
Dies: Stampin Up punches (popped up with foam tape).
Paper: Indie by MME

JOY

I can't believe how fast December has gone by!

It's time for another DT post for Aud Sentiments and my card features a design from The Paper Shelter, A Marshmallow for a Christmas Elf.  This one slipped up on me since Christmas fell in the middle of the week and I always feel like Christmas Day is a Sunday.  Anyone else get confused like that?

I colored the image with Copics and used Denami Sparklets glitter on all the furry parts and on the candle.  Wink of Stella was used on the shoes, scarf  and candle holder.  An MFT die was used for the snowflake made from sparkly DCWV and topped off with an oversized rhinestone.  The dp is Eskimo Kisses from Basic Grey and Spellbinders dies were used to cut out the image.  Since this is an easel card, I used an EK punch to provide a line for the front to rest on.  The sentiment is from Inkadinkado.

Please be sure to stop by Aud Sentiments to see what my blogmates have created for you!

I am entering the following challenges:

Emerald Faeries - christmas

Cards Galore - christmas

Crafting Musketeers - layer it up

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra - Christmas

Imagination Crafts - Christmas

Treasured Times with Rubber Stamps - Christmas sparkle with glitter

Thanks for stopping by!

Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays!!!

kathy b

With sympathy

Hi folks,
My father is doing a bit better today but still is not being released from the hospital.  It's been a nerve wracking few days...

This has been quite a year with sympathy cards as well.  Yet another one posted here today that will be going out soon for Kathy.  She adopted a precious little pooch who had a hard life, was a senior dog when he came to her, but had the privilege of spending his last year in this very loving home.  Seriously folks, you have no idea what an angel my blogmate is.  She volunteers her time with the local rescue and she and her husband take in all these homeless animals and then bring them back to life where they are completely rehabilitated and completely change in the way they look and act.  They live in HEAVEN.  In Nirvana.  Schmitzy, may he rest in peace, didn't know what treats were or what it meant to play when he came to Kathy's home.  He didn't even know what it was like to be loved on.  He made a 180 turnaround, had a great life for a few months, and then became ill...and then it went downhill from there as it was one thing after another (if you can remember).

I never had the opportunity to meet Schmitzy as I had already moved away, but he was a real character from what I hear.  It is never easy to say goodbye to your four legged family member...they just live too short.

I used the sketch from Sketchbook Saturday #285.  It is a lovely sketch and really lends itself well to a sentiment as the highlight of the card.   The card really reminds me of Schmitzy--he was grey, and was very subdued and low maintenace...but he was surrounded by lots of love.  I don't remember where this template comes from, but it is a piercing template I picked up at the stamp store.  It is very intricate work...but I hope you agree well worth it (see closeup).

Details:
Stamps: Hero Arts (Sentiment) and Scrappy Cat (pawprint)
Paper: Stella Rose by My Mind's Eye
Punch/dies: Martha Stewart (edge), MFT (fishtail) , Stampin Up (heart)
Other: Paw print is embossed in brown, liquid pearls, and Swarovski crystals

Every Crafting Genius

I am feeling a little silly today, so I put together a fun little card with crazy dp!

I used the sketch from i {heart} sketches...

The dp is from Basic Grey Lauderdale and cs is DCWV.  The image is from the now defunct Elzybells, as is the sentiment.  I used Nesties for the circles and MFT fishtail die for the sentiment.

I am also entering the following challenges:

Di's Digi Designs - girly
Addicted to Stamps - punches and dies
As You Like It - spots or stripes? Stripes - I like linear

Thanks for stopping by!

kathy b

Hang in there

Hi everyone,
Today's card is a quickie.  It's for my dad who is in the hospital.  He had heart surgery two days ago and things seemed to be going well but today we found out he's developed pulmonary edema (Water in the lungs).  Think of us...

I thought this card might remind him of one of his granddaughters...  Margaret

Details
Stamps: Stampavie, Our Lady of Rubber, Stampendous
Dies: Stampin Up, MFT
Other: Stickles, Pearls

Merry Little Christmas

Yea, it is Friday! 

I have had a very long week working on putting a database together.  My eyes are so blurry!  But I really wanted to create tonight, despite my vision.

I colored one image, only to determine I don't have a round die large enough to cut it out. So I set it aside and found a different sketch to work with, only when I started getting creative, the sketch went by the wayside!  However, I do have an end product to share.  I don't think I have ever used so many dies on one card!!!

The snowflakes are leftover from a card I posted the other day.  They are from a Cat's Pajama's large snowflake die.  The background trees are cut out from a line of trees from Impression Obsession.  The snow drifts are from MFT and the large tree is from Taylored Expressions.  The little squirrel (fussy cut) and sentiment (Versacolor Pinecone) are also from TE.  I added Art Institute glitter to the edges of the drifts.  All the trees are cut from Basic Grey Wassail, the snowflakes are DCWV glitter paper and the blue sky is from Michaels.  I used 3M foam tape for the large tree and squirrel, and to mount the card topper to the base.

I am entering this in the following challenges:

Crimbo Crackers - Christmas Words

ABC Christmas - Winter wishes

Crafting by Design - anything goes with a twist of Christmas

Holly Jolly Christmas - O Christmas Tree

Hanna & Friends - glitter

Thanks for stopping by!

kathy b

Bloom

Short and sweet tonight, guys.  I have been working on a database all day and my eyes are pooped.  Fortunately, I made this card a couple of days ago.

I based my card on the frame challenge at Crazy 4 Challenges.  The base is made with a Sizzix Bigz Scallop die using DCWV cs.  The flowers are a Stampendous stamp and Bloom is a Studio G stamp.  I colored the images with Copics and Spicas.  

I am also entering the following challenges:

Whoopsi Daisy - flowers galore
Twist of Faith - lots of layers & inspirational sentiment
DL.ART - encouragement

Thanks for stopping by!

kathy b

Happy Fall

Wow!  I was just outside walking the dogs.  It's 30 degrees!  

Very crisp!  I LOVE it!  It will drop to 25 by morning.  Then we have rain forecasted for Saturday and Sunday with highs of 68 and 74 and lows of 50 & 62.  Do ya think we'll get sick???  Crazy weather!!!

I've got a fall card to share tonight to go along with the weather!

This is a CC Designs Sugar Plum image.  I just love all those apples!  She's colored with Copics (my E31 died as I was coloring her hair).  The dp is Bo Bunny and cs is DCWV.  Sentiment is also from CC Designs.  Ribbon is from HL.  I used nesties to cut out the image and sentiment.

The sketch comes from Tip Top Tuesday.  

I am also entering the following challenges:

Belli Challenge - Harvest

Crafty Creations - dies/punches

Anyone for Anya? - photo inspiration

Thanks for stopping by!

kathy b

You're Amazing

I just got home from Geena's agility class and it is 32 degrees (9pm)!

It was a bit chilly at class, even with her sweater on, Geena Bea was shivering which is unusual for her because she is normally a little radiator!  She's a great foot warmer!

Tonight's post is for the challenge at Aud Sentiments.  This is a great team and they will be looking for new team members soon.

This is a Sassy Studio Designs image.  I colored her with Copics and used spicas  for her glasses, jewelry and shoes for added bling!  Her dress is paper-pieced.  DP is from KaiserCraft and cs is DCWV.  Sentiment is from Verve, accented with Swarovskis, and ribbon is stash.

Crafty Cardmakers - paper piecing
Creative Creations - sparkle and shine
Fitztown - paper piecing
Glitter and Sparkle - Autumn colors

Thanks for stopping by!  Stay warm!!!

kathy b

May Love and Kindness...

Hi everyone!

It is such a glorious day today, but tomorrow we will have a freeze!  Amazing how quickly weather can change around here!  I took a few photos today.

This is taken from my front porch.  You can barely see Sadie in the bottom right corner.  We have had a wonderful fall!

This is a camellia right outside our front door.  Poor honeybee, hope it survives the cold!

Now for my card which is yet another Christmas card!

I used a sketch from Die Cuttin' Divas.  The large light blue circle is actually a Cat's Pajamas snowflake die cut that I lightly impressed so that the pieces would remain attached.  I did another one in sparkly white and used the pieces on top of the blue version.  DP is ancient and from Provo Craft.  Sentiment is from Inky Antics, stamped in Encore Metallic Silver with a strip of rhinestones beneath.

I am also entering the following challenges:

2 Sisters - sparkly christmas
Crafty Calendar - all things christmas
Sweet Stampin' - Christmas is coming

Thanks for stopping by!

kathy b

Oh, here's a larger pix of Sadie - with yogurt on her face.  She is 15 years, 11 months old!!!

I'll never "desert" you

Hello everyone!
It felt great to actually focus on something artistic today and allow yourself to create.  While I was making my card, I was watching a Place at the Table, since it's free now with Amazon Prime.  One of my favorite things to do...watch a movie and create. :)

Today's card is inspired by a couple of challenges: The Aud Sentiments Challenge #93 (Feminine) and a Gem of a Challenge, Challenge 105 (Gems, Gems, Gems).  I would say this card is quite girly --and my gems are the four little Swarovski crystals on her boots (plus the two pearls on the top left).  I wish I had boots like this! LOL  I love this girls from The Greeting Farm, and she was fun to color too.  I've had her for over a year and never had a chance to use her!

Well it's going to be a ROUGH week, so I will bid you goodnight.  Hope you have a great week.  THanks for stopping by. Margaret

Details:
Stamps: Image from the Greeting Farm, sentiment from Inky Antics
Punch: Martha Stewart and Stampin Up
Paper: Drawing a blank right now...sorry!
Other: Swarovski Crystals, Pearls from Michaels and Stickles

Using my scraps

Hello everyone,
Well, there's a joke around here and it's about me.  My children always tell me that I go overboard with everything.  Well, I guess that's a good thing where cards are concerned, BUT it's also a bad thing because I can't do simple.   I don't know what it is, but it's almost like I become inept.

I am really busy this month and so I decided to make a simple card.  Well, this "simple" card turned out into an almost hour ordeal.  First, I found this challenge: Hiding in my craft room Super Scraps Saturday #123  Perfect --since I don't have time to think and match paper etc.  Well, as I started creating, oh my...everything went wrong.  Maybe it's because I WAS using scraps and trying to be simple ???  But I kept cutting things crookedly.  I have lots of scraps since I use 12x12 paper in hopes I can get at least 2 cards out of them.   ACtually I never throw anything away, not even little teeny scraps...they may come in useful!.  LOL.    I even have an entire box of glitter scraps.  I used a Darcie embossing plate that Kathy gave me for Christmas.  I LOVE this embossing plate. I first used it on white paper.  Well it ripped.  The embossing folder completely RIPPED IT!  So then I had a big enough scrap of paper color I wasn't too crazy about--sort of neutral whereas I'm all about color.  So this was a perfect opportunity to use it.  It was thicker and that came out great but then the card I had well, was too big for this embossed piece of paper.  So I found gold paper which I only had to cut a little.  Fit great on the card except the embossed paper was still too small.  So I found some brown paper.  it was rather small so you can barely see it, mounted on the embossed paper.  Once I mounted it on the gold...well you can see it's OK, but,...it was blah.  And with my wonderful coordination, not sure it lined up perfectly.  So then I thought of using a banner with what I had left.  I think it came out OK, but not one of my prouder moments.  So, all in all..I really love this design of the embossed folder, but it was just not a high MOJO day for creativity.  Which is why I added the gold paper...I figured it would give it some oomph.  And the 3 swarovski's as a dot dot dot  :)  WEll I couldn't have it COMPLETELY plain!

Hopefully tomorrow I will have a better creative day! and a bit more coordination...

Joy

Hi one and all!

I am sharing another Christmas card tonight.

This is a card I thought would be quick, but ended up taking a little time.  First, I had to play with colors.  Then I had to poke out the pieces of the wreath die (Impression Obsession).  Those itty bitty pieces of holly and berries took a little manuevering to get them glued on.  The bow was the easiest part!  I stamped joy using Memento Cottage Ivy (Inkadinkado).  

I am entering the following challenges:

Fab n' FUnky - traditional christmas colors

Created with Love - Christmas in reds and greens

Simon Says Stamp - Keep it clean and simple

Thanks for stopping by!

kathy b

Season's Greetings

Yea....4-day weekend!!!

I am so excited.  However, I need to clean my art room.  Seriously, my desktop is so cluttered I have this teeny tiny place to work, the size of a magazine!  If I wasn't such a clutterbug it would be easier to stay neat.  But I tend to keep every piece of usable scrap.  I do put my dies up and my Copics in their slots and I have an Elfa drawer next to my desk for my tapes, inks, rhinestones, clear mounts and embossing folders, so those things get put up most every day.  Some things I just need to find a place to store them...I just can't decide so they stay on my desk.  Maybe someday I will be better organized...

Tonight I have a CAS Christmas card.  

I used a Wplus9 stamp and die set.  Ink is Memento Cottage Ivy and the cs is from my scrap bin (sorted by color, surprise, surprise!).  The tree and heart are both popped up with 3M foam tape and the sentiment is stamped with Encore Metallic Silver.  

I am entering the following challenges:

Fab n' Funky - traditional Christmas colors

Created with Love - Christmas in reds and greens

Simon Says Stamp - Keep it clean and simple

Thanks for stopping by...perhaps I shall start a little cleaning ;)

kathy b

A memory

I need to take a photo to show you the beauty of nature here on the mountain.  The trees look on fire from the color changes.  Gorgeous!  And the temps are dropping as we speak, as a cold front moves through.  Oh how I love fall!

Tonight I have a sympathy card to share.  My sister-in-law had to put her little pug to sleep.  Anyone that has ever gone through that knows how difficult it is, even when it is the humane thing to do.  Then you have to deal with missing the little guy.

I used a sketch from House That Stamps Built.  The sentiment is from Unity, stamped with Versafine Onyx Black and cut out with Nesties Labels 5.  DP is very old stash (from scrapbooking days) and cs is DCWV.  The pawprint is from an EK Success punch then punched out with 3/4" circle.  Ribbon is from Michaels.  I added Swarovskis for a little bling.

I am also entering the following challenges:

Cards in Envy - Say what? sentiment as focal

LEJ Designs - monochrome

Twist of Faith - in remembrance

Thanks for stopping by!

kathy b

Let it Snow

I have been MIA.  Work and dogs have been overwhelming.

Schmitzy has been diagnosed with a mental dysfunction - the doggie version of senility.  He got caught behind the dryer again and he has to close a door to get to that spot.  He was wailing when I got out of the shower - he was asleep when I headed into the bathroom.  Makes me so very sad...

On the happy side, I took Geena Bea to agility tonight and she showed up everyone!  Even a dog that is 3 ribbons shy of the highest title you can earn!  I hope she does this well when we go to trial the weekend before Thanksgiving!!!

I put a card together tonight when I got home.  I had colored the image over the weekend and just needed to decide what to do with it.  I found a sketch at Atlantic Hearts.

The image is Luka from La La Land, stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Copics.  The sentiment, punched out and backed with glitter paper, is from Pink Cat Studio and is stamped with Memento Rhubarb Stalk. It is popped up with 3M foam tape. I used DCWV glitter paper for the bells, die cut with dies from CC Designs and bows made from elastic cord. The bells are popped up with foam tape.  The sprigs are from Memory Box.  The image is cut out with a die from MFT.  DP is from Carta Bella So this is Christmas.  Yea, another card for my Christmas stash!!!

Here's a detail show of the sprigs and bells:

I am also entering the following challenges:

Created with Love - reds and greens

Christmas Card Challenge - Dimension

Pink Gem - Christmas

Thanks for stopping by!

kathy b

Precious friend, you're a treasure

Wow, everyone, I can't believe it's almost midnight.  It seems the days are spiraling out of control lately--I just can't seem to get everything done on time.  Does it feel like that for you?

Anyway, before I head on to bed (who am I kidding, I have a couple more hours of work to catch up on for tomorrow), I wanted to get my card posted before midnight.

This card was inspired by the sketch from the Cardabilities Sketch # 86 Challenge.  I've been eyeing this paper I bought this summer from Doodlebug and haven't used it very much but when I saw this sketch, I knew I needed a bird there and this paper came to mind.

If you've noticed over the last two weeks, my card photos have been a little weird, right?  Well I can't find my camera (I know it's around here somewhere though) so until I find it, I'm taking photos with my phone and then trying to fix the colors.  And since I've been getting such a late start, they're done by that awful florescent lighting instead of natural lighting.  I hope I didn't leave it somewhere in a restaurant...I've already left my purse and computer numerous times.  Wish I had better memory...

Sorry this is a short one--with the end of the semester upon us, my time is shorter and shorter, but I'm hoping the week of Thanksgiving I will have a bit of downtime to get some fun 'stuff' going. :)  I'm trying to think of something creative for Kathy's Christmas card but at the moment, I've been more like mud.  Every have those days?

Have a wonderful week everyone, and thanks for dropping by.  :)

Details:
Stamp: I THINK it's Impression Obsession
Punch: Martha Stewart punch
Paper and twine: Doodlebug, American Crafts POW Glitter Paper
Die cut: Prickly Pear
Other: Swarovski Crystal

Dizzying circles

Hello everyone,
Margaret here.  Where do these weekends go?  It seems it was just Friday morning and now I'm already dreading Sunday.  :(

Well for today's card, I found a GREAT sketch that helped me utilize more of my mandala stamps.  I was going to put flowers instead of mandalas but I just couldn't help myself. :)  They remind me of that toy Spirograph when I was little--and guess what?  They just released this toy on the market again.  I'm sure it won't be anything like the real thing, but it does look like the closest thing to it that I've seen yet.

Anyway, here's my card!  I hope you enjoy and get inspired.  Thanks for stopping by! Til tomorrow...Margaret

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

 Jo's Scrapshack Challenge (FFC#24)

Cut It Up Challenges-Thanksgiving #31

Details:
Stamps: Waltzingmouse (mandalas); Stampin Up (Leaves) Cut out twice and popped up with foam tape
Paper:  I think it's an old Stampin Up (It was a scrap)
Dies: MFT and Spellbinders and SU punches
Other: Bling from Hobby Lobby, Swarovski, and Stickles

My Two Cents

Yea for Friday!  

Fall is here and it is absolutely gorgeous outside.  The fall colors are amazing.  It's going to be a great weekend!

Tomorrow is my 23rd wedding anniversary.  So, of course, I have made an anniversary card for my DH.  Not the typical mushy type, my DH doesn't go in for that.  

Since my husband is always doing some sort of project, I thought this stamp from Unity was a good choice.  I colored the image with Copics and Spicas and then fussy cut it out.  Unfortunately, my Alex Guy set was missing the "my guy" stamp that I planned to use (Unity is sending me one), I found this stamp from Impression Obsession in my stash.  I put "Happy Anniversary" on the inside of the card.  I made a step card base and used Archaic dp from Basic Grey.  

I am entering the following challenges:

Cards for Men - Congratulatory

Outlawz - Anything goes with sentiment

C.R.A.F.T. - for the boys

Crafty Little Fairies - For the one you love 

Stampotique - Fancy folds SDC123

Thanks for stopping by!

kathy b