House Mouse Monday Challenge #52

The House Mouse Monday Challenge has gone to an every other Monday format and even though I had two weeks to participate, here I am posting the last Sunday night. Challenge #52 is to select your favorite challenge from the past year. I decided on two: the sketch from #48 and embossing from #19.


The House Mouse image is "In A Nutshell" and Maxwell is colored with Copics (E00, E33, E29, B02, Y21, YR61, YR68, YG23, C1). "Happy Birthday" is Endless Creations. I used Cuttlebug's "Floral Fantasy" embossing folder and two sizes of Nestabilities square dies. All the paper is DCWV. There are Dew Drops, Diamond Stickles and the ribbon is from stash.

I'm going to send this off to my girlfriend Barbi in San Diego. Her birthday's October 1 and I never get cards to her on time. She'd probably have a coronary if it actually arrived on her birthday. It might actually make it this year!

Cheers, Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #67 (and #66)

This week's Penny Black Saturday Challenge #67 is to use lace and pearls. Boy is that right up my alley! I'm not sure what happened last week but I didn't get the challenge done. It was a wonderful sketch, so I decided to use it this week.

Both the image and the sentiment are from PB's "the Wonder" transparent set. The image is colored with Copics (E00, YR00, E29, E37, C1, R02) and Tombows (155, 177) and the sentiment is stamped with Deep Green Chalk ink. All the paper (except the white) is from the "Greetings of the Season" paper pack from Hobby Lobby. The rectangles are cut using Nestabilities large and small deckle dies and the two circles are cut using the Creative Memories custom cutting system (I think this is the first time I've actually used the system). The snowflakes are punched with an Emagination punch and gold charms from stash have been added to each. The pearls are Hero Arts and the ribbon is from Hobby Lobby. "Old Gold" glitter from Art Institute is on the star and a touch of Polar White Flower Soft and Crystal glitter is snow.

Back to work tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers, Judi

More Blog Candy

I'm a regular visitor to Debby's blog and she is celebrating 500 followers by giving away some wonderful candy.


Check out Debby's blog. Her cards are wonderful and truly inspirational. She does some pretty amazing things with paper, rubber stamps, ink and embellishments. Love her flowers and that 3D effect!!

Cheers, Judi

Whiff of Joy Candy

Bev R. has some wonderful Whiff of Joy Candy on her blog. Check it out, it looks scrumptious.



Cheers, Judi

Whiff Of Joy/Friday Sketchers/Stamp Something

I think I've missed Whiff of Joy Challenge #47 (which was to use teal and orange) but since I've completed the card, I'm going to post it anyway. I've also used the sketch from Friday Sketchers #69 and I've used a few of my favorite embellishments (pearls and ribbon) for the Stamp Something challenge.

The Whiff of Joy stamp is "Willow Kneeling", which I've colored with Copic Markers (YR12, YR15, YR18, BG10, BG13, BG18, E00, E02, R02, E37, E57). I finally broke out my new MME "Bloom & Grow" paper, along with Core'dinations cardstock. The ribbon is from a QVC ribbon pack and the pearls are from Hero Arts. I used the Nestabilities' standard and scallop circle dies and a "Family Treasures" butterfly punch.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are always welcome.

Cheers, Judi

Mojo Monday 103 - Contest

Nothing like waiting til the last moment to finish a card. Mojo Monday 103 closes Sunday at 8:00 p.m. MT (I'm presuming that's Mountain Time) and it's 6:00 p.m. ET right now. That's cutting it pretty close, even for me. But I loved this sketch so definitely wanted to give it a try.

The stamp is from Endless Creations. I colored right on the stamp with Tombow Markers and then added a touch of Violet Flower Soft mixed with Eggplant Ultra Fine glitter from Art Institute. The CS is Bazzill and the DP is "Violet Dahlias" by Chatter Box. The ribbon and flower are from Joann's and I also used a Nestabilities' scallop oval.

As I look at the picture I just downloaded, I realize I didn't put on the three pearls which I planned to add on the purple paper below the image. Oh well, I'll have to add them before I actually send the card to someone.

Hope you all had a great weekend. Monday's come so soon.

Cheers, Judi

Penny Black #64 & Friday Sketchers #68

Over the last several weeks, I have finally felt like life was getting back to normal. My sister, Sue, was progressing very nicely from her two hip replacement surgeries and she was starting to get around some without her walker. We actually were doing things outside of the house again.

But, I got a call Tuesday afternoon at work..... she was pruning some plants in our backyard and had tried to throw herself down the small hill that we have. I guess the grass was wet, her feet slipped and she went down on her knees. She had to crawl back into the house to get to the phone. I called her hip doctor and made an appointment for the next morning. Fortunately, she did not damage her hips but ended up cracking the bone around her left knee (which had also been replaced 5 or 6 years ago). She's now in an immobilizer for a minimum of two weeks (when we go back to the doctor) and is back sleeping in my bedroom. I'm getting pretty used to the spare bedroom.

Barb and I did spend a fun Saturday shopping. We met at Stamp On It about 10:30 a.m. It was make-n-take Saturday, along with a huge sale. We played with Flower Soft for the make-n-take and I managed to pick out a couple more colors to add to my Flower Soft collection. I also found several stamps and a couple of Spellbinder dies. I needed to pick up some cat food at Pet Supply Plus and then we were off to lunch at Culver's. After lunch, we found our way to both Hobby Lobby and Joann's. We had coupons, we had to use them!! All in all, we had a very nice day.

Anyway, I'm back finally to do a couple of challenges. "Hearts Desire" is the Penny Black Saturday Challenge #65 and Heidi has created a great sketch for Friday Sketcher's #68.



This cute puppy is from the PB transparent set "Critter Party". I colored him with Prismacolor colored pencils and gamsol. The DP is from the "Love You" collection by Daisy Bucket Designs and the CS is Bazzill and Stampin' Up. I used three sizes of Nestabilities Labels One dies, as well as the standard and scallop oval dies. "Love You" was from a Will'n Way transparent stamp set and the flower is Spare Parts from the Paper Studio.

Looking forward to things getting back to normal.... again (which I hope means more challenges this week). Thanks for visiting. Hope you come back again.

Cheers, Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #64

I'm not sure what the problem was, but this card for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge #64 took me forever. The challenge was Christmas. Simple enough. I made a Christmas card earlier in the week which came together quite effortlessly. But this one had me stumped. I had trouble picking the paper, I had trouble cutting the paper, I tried ribbons, I tried different flowers, I stamped a couple of different images. Finally, late yesterday afternoon, things started falling into place.

I used "Merry Kitty" by Penny Black. The little bit of coloring was done with Copics (C1, C5, R02, R24, R27, R29). The DP was some really old Paper Patch paper, the CS was Bazzill and the mirror paper came from Marco's Paper. The squares were cut with Nestabilities standard and scallop squares and I embossed with Cuttlebug's "Christmas Ornaments" embossing folder. The flower was made by punching twice with Fiskar's "oopsie daisy" punch and once with a Stampin' Up punch. The jewel in the center is Hero Arts. And the Christmas ball is totally covered with Stickles "Xmas Red".

It's not the best card I've ever made... but it's not the worst, and in the end, I like it. I guess, subconsciously, I'm just not ready to think about Christmas.

Cheers, Judi

Papertake + Stamp Something + Colour Create = Christmas

What do you get when you take the sketch from Papertake Weekly, the color challenge of Ruby, Gold and Cream from Colour Create Challenge and the Stamp Something Challenge to use an animal? A Christmas card, of course! I think it was the color challenge which really drove me towards Christmas. I must admit I haven't had any Christmas stamps out before now. (Still not ready to admit that summer is almost over and Christmas will be here in no time.


I stamped Impression Obsession's "Christmas Tree Mouse" in Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Copics (R59, G21, G24, E00, E02, D37, E29, W1). The DP is from a Christmas paper pack I got from Hobby Lobby and the gold CS is from stash. I used the EK Success "Scalloped Scallop" border punch and the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder. The flowers are Prima (the largest was white which I colored with R59) and the gem is Hero Arts (also colored with R59). Lastly, I added a touch of "Polar White" Flower Soft to fluff up his hat and to make snow.

Thanks for stopping by. Comments are always appreciated.

Cheers, Judi

Just Magnolia

Decided to participate in the Just Magnolia Challenge this week. I only have two of these lovely stamps so hope you don't get tired for seeing them over and over again.

This week's Challenge #19 is a sketch by Rach. I stamped "Tilda with Flowers" with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Copics (R02, R39, R59, YG21, E00, E02, E29, E31, E37, E57, C1). All the DP is from the "Imagination" paper collection by A2Z. I used several sizes of Nestabilities standard and scallop circle dies and "Spring" Flower Soft. The flowers are Spare Parts and Primas, and the ribbon is from QVC.



Thanks for visiting.
Cheers, Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #63 and Papertake Weekly

So last week was all I expected it to be. I ended up working 3.5 extra hours on last week's timesheet and I was in on Saturday, so I already have 4.5 extra hours for this week. I like the extra money (more stamping things to buy!!) but it's hard to keep up with everyone's blogs and challenges. Vacations are over for a while, so it's time to catch up.

Starting the week off with Penny Black Saturday Challenge #63 and Papertake Weekly. Penny Black's challenge is stitching and Papertake Weekly is celebrating their 100th challenge with "Take Your Pick". You can use any of their 100 challenges for your inspiration. I went back through all the past PTW challenges and chose Katharina's Sketch 13. This was an early sketch and I thought it looked fun.

I used a transparent stamp from PB's new "Spooky" set. This kitty is so darn cute I just couldn't resist. I stamped him with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Copics (E00, E02, E09, R02, C1). (I'm not very pleased with the coloring, can't seem to get the right amount of "light" or "white" space. Guess I'll just have to keep trying.) My "stitching" is from the Technique Tuesday's "Hanging By A Thread" stamp set. The CS is Bazzill and one of the sheets of DP is from Doodlebug, but I don't know where the other paper came from. (I think I've had around for a while.) I used Nestabilities standard and scallop oval dies, two sizes of EK Success Retro flower punches, and the Swiss Dots embossing folder. There's a touch of Spica's on the kitty's hat, jewels and rhinestones from Doodlebug and Queens & Co.

Looking forward to more crafting this week (and not so much working). Thanks for stopping by. Comments are always welcome.

Cheers, Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #62 & Sketch Saturday #64

I wanted to get one more card done before the work week begins because I'm not sure if I'll be back to my craft room again before Friday (my day off). I'm anticipating this to be a rough week as one of the other admin assistants is on vacation and I'm expected to do a part of her job that I've never done before..... as well as my own job. Should be an interesting week, to say the least.


So, of course, I chose the Penny Black Saturday Challenge #62. Their challenge this week is a color challenge.... blue, tan and cream. Since I also love sketch challenges, I checked out the sketch saturday challenge and, as usual, they have a wonderful sketch posted.

I used the PB stamp "Three Daisies" and I actually colored it with a blender pen and Chalk "Prussian Blue" ink. I didn't seem to have a Copics blue that matched my paper (sounds like a shopping trip to me??!!) The DP is from K & Company's Classic K Bailey paper pad and the CS is Bazzill and Stampin' Up. I used Nestabilities standard and scallop oval dies, the Cuttlebug swiss dots embossing folder and a Fiskars border punch. The pearls are Hero Arts, the blue ribbon is from Michael's and the pearl/lace is from Hobby Lobby.

Hope you have all have a good week. Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers, Judi

Spoon Full of Sugar & Whiff of Joy Challenges

Both of these challenges are a first for me. A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge #64 is a wonderful sketch by Camilla and Whiff of Joy Challenge #43 is to use pink and brown.

This is the first inking of Whiff of Joy's "Willow with Sunhat". I think she is so cute. I stamped Willow in Memento Tuxedo Black and again colored with Copics (R81, R83, R85, R39, R59, E00, E02, E37, E29, YG23, C1). "Just Because" is Endless Creations stamped in Chalk "Dark Brown". The DP is from the Basic Grey "Bittersweet" paper pad and the CS is Bazzill. I used Nestabilities' Labels 4, the flowers are Prima, and pearls are Hero Arts.

Hope you're having a great weekend. The weather is perfect here in Michigan (personally it's a bit warm for me) but I think most people are just glad that summer has finally arrived.

Thanks for stopping by. Comments are always appreciated.

Cheers, Judi

Our Creative Corner & Papertake Weekly

Our Creative Corner has an inspiration challenge this week and Papertake Weekly has a great sketch by Dawny. I've put the two together for the following:



The image is "Flower Tub" (C1182) from Impression Obsession and the "thank you" is Inkadinkado. I stamped it in Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Copics (YR12, YR18, G21, G24, YG11, C1, C5, C7, BG10). I added Flower Soft bright orange and baby peach to the flowers. I thought Basic Grey's "Marrakech" collection matched the coloring perfectly and the CS is from a DCWV paper pack. I used Spellbinders Nestabilitlies square die, standard and scallop ovals, and labels 1, along with the new Spellbinders Lattice Borderability. The ribbon is from a QVC ribbon pack and the charm is from stash.

Hope you get some inspiration from my card. Thanks for visiting. Come back again.
Cheers, Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #61 & Stamp Something

Another week and a new Penny Black Saturday Challenge. This week's challenge is a sketch by Beth and I've combined it with the Stamp Something Challenge which is to use a charm.


I'm using another stamp from the "purrfect day" transparent set and I've colored this little cutie with Copics (C1,C7,Y26,Y28,YG11,YG23,YG25,R02,R39,R81,R83,R85). "Birthday Wishes" is by Endless Creations, the DP is from the "Baby Powder" collection by imaginisce and the CS is Bazzill. The flowers are Prima, the "diamonds" in her color are by Hero Arts, jump rings and chain are from Hobby Lobby, and the charm is from stash. There's a touch of Spica on the flowers and leaves.

To hang my charm, I used a technique I found on Bev Rochester's blog All The Things I Love. I think my chain's a little long but, for a first try, I think it turned out pretty well.

Thanks for stopping by.
Cheers, Judi

Truly Scrumptious 13

One of our cousins waited a long time to get married and have kids; but he finally tied the knot in 2008 and they had their first child in 2009. We are hoping to meet our new second cousin Nicholas in a couple of weeks so I've made card for the occasion.

I took the sketch from Truly Scrumptious and added papers and stickers from K&Company to come up with the following card. I haven't decided on the sentiment yet but didn't think I needed it to post the card.



As I said, the DP and stickers are from K&Company's "Brenda Walton Small Wonders Boy" collection. The CS is Bazzill, the flowers are Prima, the pearls are Hero Arts, the ribbon is from Michael's and the "filigree bell caps" are from Hobby Lobby. I used three sizes of Nestabilities standard and scallop circles.

We are looking forward to our first visit with Nicholas and hope he enjoys the gift that goes with this card.

Thanks for visiting. Would love it if you left a comment.
Cheers, Judi

Penny Black/Friday Sketchers/Papertake Weekly

Three challenges in one today: Penny Black Summer Challenge, Papertake Weekly Four Seasons Challenge and the sketch from Friday Sketchers.

I've used the PB stamp "Make A Wish" and colored with Copics (E00, E33, E37, R24, R27, BG10, BG72, YG11, YG23, Y21, C1). The DP is from the "Twitterpated" collection from Imaginisce and the CS is Stampin' Up. Circles were cut with the Nestabilities standard and scallop dies, flowers are Prima from a QVC flower pack, and the jewels are Hero Arts and Dew Drops.

I had a great weekend. Barb and I headed to Novi for the Heirloom Productions Rubber Stamping Convention. This is Michigan's biggest rubber stamp convention with about 50 vendors; some old favorites and some new ones.

We were taking a beginning Copics class on Friday taught by Sandy Hulsart. She's a certified instructor and very talented. We learned a lot and I think I finally understand natural blending families and what all the letters and numbers mean. After class, Barb and I checked out The Stampeddler (in Northville) and Archivers. We hadn't been to Stampeddler in a long time... they are still a wonderful stamping store.

Sue and Sandy didn't come down till Saturday morning. We hooked up in the convention center parking lot and, after standing in a very long line, finally made our way in. I had a list of things I wanted to look for and managed to find a lot. The big items were the new Spellbinders dies, Flower Soft, and Copics Ciaos. I was hoping to find Magnolia or Whiff of Joy stamps, but no such luck. Back to ordering on line.

Anyway, Barb and I took a Flower Soft class on Saturday afternoon (good thing, since I bought so much of it) given by The Paper Hollow. We made two different cards, one using a card topper and one using the flower stems. We had a lot of fun; it was great to use the product.

We stayed until the end, spent a lot of money and came home very inspired (and tired). I can't wait until next year!

Cheers, Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #59 & Friday Sketchers #62

What does a fabulous recipe and a great sketch have in common? Penny Black Saturday Challenge #59 and Friday Sketchers of course! The PBSC recipe calls for 3 ribbons, 2 flowers and 1 pin/charm, combine that with Jacque's sketch, and voila, you've got a dandy card combination.

"Just Buzzin' By!" was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Copics (sorry, I didn't keep track of the ones I used; I fooled around with a lot before I got the look I wanted). I used the Martha Stewart Doily border punch and added a touch of glitter with Spicas. Everything else is from stash... DP, CS, ribbons, sunflowers and bumble bee charm. (In case you can't tell, the third ribbon is the 1" wide strip adhered to the 1 1/2" black CS.)

I'm not a great cook, but this recipe was very easy to follow. And the best part.... no baking required.

Thanks for visiting.
Cheers, Judi

Truly Scrumptious 12 and Colour Create 23

Another card for two challenges. Truly Scrumptious Challenge 12 provided the sketch and Colour Create Challenge 23 provided the color inspiration of blue and white (with a touch of vintage thrown in).

For this card, I pulled out several old favorites. The stamp and sentiment are from the Stampin' Up set called "Friends". I haven't had this set out in ages. I stamped these little cuties with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored the image with Copics (BV04, E09, E00, E02, E29, C5, C1 and R02). The sentiment was stamped with Fresco Indigo Velvet... another product that I haven't used in forever. The DP is by Melissa Frances ("Deborah" and "Tammy") and the CS is Stampin' Up and Bazzill. I used three sizes of Nestabilities Small and Large Octagons and Martha Stewart's Doily Lace Edger border punch. The flowers are Prima, the pearls are Hero Arts. Lastly, there's a touch of Stickles "Diamond" on the raindrops.

I enjoyed pulling out some old favorites. Hope you enjoy my card and thanks for visiting.

Cheers, Judi

Papertake Weekly & Cute Card Thursday

Pick-a-color combination (pink, black, white, yellow, green, grey and lilac) and using eyelets were the challenges this week at Papertake Weekly and Cute Card Thursday. It wasn't hard to pick colors from Papertake Weekly's challenge... they are some of my favorites. I must admit that I haven't used eyelets in a long while (as brads are so much easier) but it was nice to pull a few out of my stash.

"Snail Fluffles" is Stampendous and Fluffles is colored with Copics (C5, C1, RV34, C11, E02, YG25, YG23). There's a touch of Liquid Pearls "White Opal" and Spica "Clear" on the flowers and snail. The DP is MM Color By Design and the CS is Bazzill. I used two sizes of Nestabilities Large and Small Deckled Rectangles, as well as QuicKutz Flourish die. The pink flowers are Prima and the white are Accent Creative Designs. The jewels are Jolee's Jewels, the eyelets came with my Crop-A-Dile and the ribbon is from Michael's.

Hope everyone is looking forward to a great weekend. Thanks for taking the time to visit. A comment is always appreciated.

Cheers, Judi

Truly Scrumptious 11 and Our Creative Corner

Finished up another card challenge.... well, actually two. I found Truly Scrumptious through another blog I was browsing and absolutely loved the sketch, as well as the idea of a creating a card using only white, black and one other color. And Our Creative Corner's challenge was right up my alley... they call it Triple Play. You must use at least three embellishments on your card. Now how hard can that be??!!! If you've seen any of my cards, you know I don't have a problem using embellishments.

For the Truly Scrumptious challenge, I chose pink as my additional color. I love this color combination; it's so girlie. For Our Creative Corner's Triple Play, I have used pearls, ric rac, a touch of glitter and flower with a jewel in the center. The stamp is "Willow Kneeling" by Whiff of Joy. She's stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Copics (R39, R34, R21, R20, R11, E00, Y28, Y26, Y21, Y28 and C1). "Just Because" is Endless Creations also stamped in Tuxedo Black. I used Cuttlebug's "Perfectly Paisley" embossing folder and Nestabilities standard and scallop circle dies. The DP is All My Memories and the CS is ColorMates Dark Pretty Pink and Bazzill. The flowers are Prima, the pearl is from Hero Arts, the ric rac is The Paper Studio and the black "rhinestone" is from Queen & Co.

I have to tell a secret; as you can see, my card is the opposite of the sketch. I had all the pieces adhered to the base card and when I went to open it, found that the fold was on the right and the card opened from the left. Fortunately, I was able to get the stamped image off and turned over. Luckily I hadn't stamped "Just Because" yet.

Even though it's a little backwards, I'm quite pleased with this card.

Hope everyone had a good Monday. Thanks for visiting.
Cheers, Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #58 & Copic Colour Challenge #22

I've found another new challenge to participate in.... Copic Colour Challenge and I've incorporated it with Penny Black Saturday Challenge, which I always love. This week Copic Colour Challenge #22 is a sketch and PBSC #58 is "Soft and Sweet".

I stamped Penny Black's "Bee Sweet" with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Copics (colors used below). The cardstock is Bazzill but I'm afraid I don't know where the DP came from (I found it going through my stash). The flowers are Prima; even though the picture looks blue, the largest flowers are really purple. I colored them with Copic V17 which ended up being a little too dark. I used the Nestabilities standard and scallop ovals and embellished with single pearls from Hero Arts and strands from Michael's. "Happy Birthday" is Endless Creations (B151) stamped in ColorBox Chalk "Warm Violet".

Copics used:
Hair: E09
Skin: E00, R20
Hat, Dress, Shoes: V01, V12, V15, V17,
Socks, Sunflowers and trim on Dress: Y11, Y26 (and lots of Colorless Blender)
Miscellaneous: Y17, G17, RV14

Guess that's it. Thanks for taking a look.
Cheers, Judi

Papertake Weekly Challenge 19

Evening everyone. Hope you all have had a great week and are ready for the weekend. It's supposed to be quite cold (in the 60's) here in Michigan, very unusual for July. Sounds like a great weekend to stamp!

I'm participating in another new challenge. I've been checking out Papertake Weekly Challenge and decided to join in. This week's challenge is a sketch (and you know how much I like sketches).

I stamped my new "Tilda Picking Lilacs" with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Copics. "thinking of you" from Stampendous. The CS is Bazzill and the DP is from Basic Grey's "Wisteria" paper pad. The lilacs are covered in Art Institute "Eggplant" transparent glitter and there is also a touch of Stickles "Diamond" glitter glue throughout the wisteria. The ribbon and pearls are from stash.

Thanks for taking a look.

Cheers, Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #55 & Our Creative Corner

Hope everyone had a Happy 4th of July. We've had a great weekend here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Personally, I think the weather has been perfect... mostly sunny and in the 70's. It's heading into the low 80's today.

Not only has the weather been perfect, but I've been off work since Thursday. Four days off is a wonderful thing! I've enjoyed checking out (and participating in) some different challenges. Yesterday, I posted a card for Friday Sketchers and today, besides Penny Black Saturday Challenge #56, I'm posting to Our Creative Corner. Both challenges were color challenges.... Red, White and Blue in honor of the 4th of July.

The image I used is from Penny Black's new "purrfect day" transparent set. The kitty is actually holding a balloon but I didn't ink the balloon and added the flag instead. I used three dies from Nestabilities Small and Large Octagons and the EK Success Scallop Diamond punch. "Happy Birthday America!" is from Ann-ticipations stamped in Brilliance "Mediterranean Blue". The paper, flag and ribbon are all from stash. Oh, and there is a touch of blue Spica glitter pen.

It's been a "purrfect" weekend. Enjoy the rest of the day. Thanks for looking and come back again.

Cheers, Judi

House Mouse Monday Challenge #44 & Friday Sketchers 59

I decided to combine two challenges.... House Mouse Monday Challenge #44 and Friday Sketchers 59. I've never participated in Friday Sketchers, but I love sketches so thought it was time to give this challenge a try.

The House Mouse challenge is to use Paper Tole which is a layering technique. I've added one layer to the parts of the image that I feel would be "in front" (e.g. Itty Bit's arms, hat, cake and candles). This is a fun technique and really adds dimension to your image.

I used "It's My Party" (HMJR1059) and colored with Copics. "Birthday Wishes" (C131) is by Endless Creations. The DP is from Imaginisce's "All Kinds of Happy" collection and the CS is Bazzill. I also used the Nestabilities Small Labels die around the main image and the EK Success "Dotted Scallop" border punch along the bottom of the long strip. The jewels are from Doodlebug and the touch of glitter is from my new Spica pens.

These were both fun challenges and I hope you enjoy. Thanks for looking.

Cheers, Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #55

It's been so long since I last posted, I've practically forgotten how. Let's hope this inactivity is coming to an end.

I know this is a late entry, but I couldn't miss out on the Penny Black Saturday Challenge #55. It's a sketch and a wonderful sketch at that.

I started out with one of the transparent stamps from the Penny Black "Wonderful" set. I colored my little hedgehog with Copics and added a touch of glitter with my new Spica pens. "Thinking of You" (C27) is from Endless Creations. The DP is from Cloud 9's "Sunrise Smoothie" collection and the card stock is Core'dinations. I ran it through the Cuttlebug, using the Swiss Dots embossing folder. I then lightly sanded the dots to reveal the white core. The flowers are Prima and the ribbon is American Craft Elements from a QVC ribbon pack. The last touch is "Flame" Dew Drops.

Hope you enjoy this card. Thanks for looking.

Cheers,
Judi

Sketch Saturday #54

What fun I had this week with Sketch Saturday #54. Not only is the sketch wonderful but I bought my first Tilda stamp and I just had to use it with this sketch.


The stamp is "Tilda With Flowers". I stamped her with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored her with Copics (sorry I didn't keep track of the colors I used). The cardstock is Bazzill and the DP is "Rosey Nook Blossoms" by Chatter Box. I used two different sizes of Oval and Scallop Oval Nestabilities, Accent Creative Designs flowers, Jolee's Jewels, American Craft ribbon from QVC and a Punch A Bunch punch.

Thanks for visiting.

Cheers, Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #52

I actually started this card last week for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge #51 but for some reason never got it done. So fortunately, I was able to make the card I started fit in to Penny Black Saturday Challenge #52 "Blooming Gorgeous".

I continued to follow the sketch from PBSC #51 and was easily able to incorporate flowers into it. I used Penny Black's "Purrr-fect Time (1467K)" colored with Prismacolor colored pencils and blended with gamsol. The image was cut out using Nestabilities Label Four and there's a touch of black ink around the edge. The card stock is all Bazzill and the DP is "What's New Club" by A2Z Essentials. I picked this wonderful 2-sided paper up last year at the Great Lakes Mega Meet in Novi, Michigan and this is the first time to use it. The flowers are "Mulberry Street" by Petaloo and the jewels are from Doodlebug Design Inc. Lastly I tried for the first time "Flower Soft". I used the "Spring" mix in the flower basket. I think it's going to take a little practice.

Hope you enjoy. Thanks for visiting.

Cheers, Judi

Back to Work

Hard to believe the weekend is over already. Time goes by so fast when you're having fun.

We've had absolutely perfect weather for three days. Some people probably think it's been a little cold (my sister included) but I love the temperature in the 70's. This is what spring is all about. As far as I'm concerned, it could stay like this all summer. I'm not very crazy about 90 degrees and humidity.

We spent last week buying our annuals. We usually get most of our annuals at Countryside Greenhouse but Sue really wasn't up for it. We did manage to get to Ludema's, Romence Gardens, Fruitbasket Flowerland and Meijer's to get everything we usually get at Countryside. Over the last three days, I got everything planted and, if I say so myself, all the pots look pretty nice. I still have a couple of empty places but not sure if I'll fill them or not. We've already spent quite a bit on flowers.

Mom visited on Sunday. She loves "Jon & Kate plus 8" so we watched the marathon on TLC most of the afternoon. We had steaks on the grill, along with potatoes and onions in tinfoil packets and the first corn on the cob of the year. She always brings homemade cookies (they have the best chocolate chip cookies at Sunrise). She bought a new hummingbird feeder so we made syrup and I hung it up when I took her home. We've both had problems getting the hummingbirds to come regularly this year so she said she'd call the first time he came.... gee, I haven't heard from her yet!

It was pretty busy at work last week. Our two new projects are kicking off so there's a lot of prep work involved in that. This week starts out with an all day client meeting on Tuesday, which means I have to don my waitress apron since we will be providing both a continental breakfast and lunch for a group of about 15. This type of day always proves to be very tiring because I still have the rest of my job to do as well.

I did post earlier this evening a card for last week's House Mouse #38 challenge. I didn't get it done until today but I did follow the sketch, so decided to post anyway.

Hope everyone had a nice Memorial Day.

Cheers, Judi

House Mouse Monday Challenge #38

I know I'm too late for the House Mouse Monday Challenge #38 but I did finally get my card done so I thought I would post it anyway. The challenge was a sketch and I love doing sketches. I knew what I wanted to do for this challenge but life kept getting in the way.

I was asked to make a retirement card for one of the ladies I work with. After 45 years, she is finally hanging up her typewriter. She loves warm weather and is looking forward to relaxing and spending time at the beach. I thought "In A Nutshell" was perfect. I colored it in the Prismacolor colored pencils, blended with gamsol. All the papers are from DCWV "Citrus" paper pad. I used the standard circle and scallop circle dies from Nestabilities; the ribbon is from a QVC ribbon pack and the charms are from stash. I've also added a touch of Diamond Stickles for a little glitz.

Cheers, Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #49

It's been a month since I last posted for a challenge. I'm very excited to be back with a card for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge #49. This is a recipe challenge.... 3 flowers, 2 papers and 1 charm/brad.

I used my new PB stamp "Rosy!". I also colored with my new Copics (gonna take some practice). I'm afraid I don't know where the paper came from, just some I've had around for a long time. The flowers are from "Accent Creative Designs" and the gems are from The Paper Studio. I used the Labels Four die by Nestabilities and the Swiss Dots embossing folder by Cuttlebug. The charm and lace are from stash and there's a touch of Diamond Stickles glitter glue.

I know it's been a while but thanks for coming back to take a look. Would love it if you left a comment letting me know you were here.

Cheers, Judi

Getting Back to Normal

Life is finally settling back into a regular routine. Sue is slowly improving from her hip replacement surgery and the Great Lakes Mega Meet is over, so things should be getting back to normal.

Don't you just love spring. I can't believe how much the trees have changed over the last week. The flowering trees are gorgeous and the grass is green. The spring bulbs and the lilacs are in full bloom, and the trillium and lilies of the valley are coming up. We haven't seen any hummingbirds yet, but there have been a couple of orioles around.

The Great Lakes Mega Meet was wonderful. Barb and I had a great time papercrafting and shopping for three days. We stayed in the same hotel as last year (even though it had changed from Baymont to Holiday Inn Express)... we even had the same room! They had a great breakfast bar: eggs, sausage, cereal, muffins, bagels, juices, yogurt and absolutely wonderful warm cinnamon rolls. Dinners on Thursday and Friday found us at Applebees.

I took seven classes: two cardmaking, two acrylic mini albums, a mini tag album, a mixed media mini album and a 6x6 canvas book. The classes went really well. I actually finished a couple in class but also completed a couple in the hotel room in the evening. I still need to make them my own with my photos and/or embellishments. I even won a couple of prizes which is always fun.

Of course, there is the all-important shopping as well. I tried my darnedest to stimulate the economy. I picked up an assortment of papers and paper packs, a ton of embellishments and a mini album project that Barb and I are going to work on together. But my most important (and most costly) purchase were my Copic markers. Yes, I decided to take the step (actually a giant leap!) into the world of Copics. Now I have to figure out how to use them. I'm hoping to "play" a little this weekend.

It was tough coming back to work after being gone five days. Things were a bit chaotic on Tuesday when I returned. I ended up at the office till almost 6:30. I also found out when I got back that one of the administrative assistants had decided to retire. She's been with the company for 45 years. I was 11 when she started working! This does take a little pressure off the rest of the admin staff though. There is still the possibility of more lay-offs but this should provide the rest of us more work.

Sue is progressing. She is still using a walker but continues with weekly physical therapy and gets up and down the stairs regularly. Her therapist wants her to walk more so she's been circling the main level of the condo. She has no pain in either her right hip or her back, but now her left hip hurts. We may be in for the whole procedure a second time.

Lastly, I had a very pleasant surprise a couple of weeks ago. I found that a card of mine had been published in the June 2009 issue of Crafts 'n Things. I probably sent the card in over a year ago. In fact, it was sent to Rubberstamper, which was bought by Crafts 'n Things. If I remember correctly, the card request was for stamping on photos. I used all Stampscape stamps and a sunset photo I had found at http://www.freefoto.com/. This is my first time published and I'm really quite pleased.

I'm looking forward to getting back into challenges again. I've got all kinds of new stuff to use. And, of course, there are my Copics. Can't wait to give them a try.

Cheers, Judi

Looking Forward to May

April may only have 30 days, but they were a long 30 days. I see that I never even got my April calendar posted so guess I'll do it here, along with May.

March ended with Sue's hip replacement surgery postponed until Friday, April 17. She's been having trouble maintaining a high enough red blood cell count and her surgeon decided she needed to see a hematologist. After several blood transfusions, she got the okay for her surgery. We had to be at Spectrum at 7:30 a.m. on 4/17, with surgery scheduled for 9:30 a.m. They didn't take her in until almost 10:00 and a procedure that was supposed to take a hour, took over two. When the surgeon came out to talk to me, he indicated that her hip was in much worse shape than he thought so the surgery took much longer. But everything went well and she was in her room about 2 hours later. I stayed with her until 7:00 p.m. It was a very long day.

On Saturday, she had several sessions of physical and occupational therapy and was out of bed to sit in a chair. I spent most of the afternoon and early evening with her. I brought Mom up to see her on Sunday for a couple of hours. Sue still had several therapy sessions and was walking a bit further. We thought she would come home on Monday, but she ended up needing another blood transfusion before they would let her leave.

I finally got her home on Tuesday. Sue's bedroom is in the lower level of our condo but stairs were not an option. So, we moved her into my bedroom where she could easily get to a bathroom and more easily maneuver with her walker. I moved into the spare bedroom so I would be close if she needed any help.

So that's how we spent the last two weeks. We finally moved her to the lower level this morning. I must admit I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again.

While we were getting through all of this, I found out that my hours were being cut at the office from 40 to 32 per week. Instead of laying off one administrative assistant, five of us had our hours reduced. I am now supposed to have Monday's off but, because of everything going on with Sue, I've had to do some trading. I think after next week I should be able to get into a regular routine.

It really is beginning to look like spring. After having 70 degree weather at the beginning of the month, we had 3-4 straight days of rain and then temperatures in the 50's and 60's. The flowering trees have really popped, daffodils, tulips and hyacinths are in full bloom, and the summer birds are returning. In the last three days, both the Orioles and the Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks have been at our feeders. Still waiting for the Hummingbirds. This is absolutely my favorite season. I'm beginning to get that itch to plant some annuals.

Marla and I headed to Arnie's in Greenville last Saturday. They were having a 30% off the entire store sale which you know I can't miss. They have such a great selection of stamping, scrapbooking and papercrafting supplies. I haven't even taken the time to unpack my purchases. Looking forward to the creative juices flowing again.

And speaking of creative juices, Barb and I leave Wednesday night for the Great Lakes Mega Meet in Novi. I've signed up for 7 classes over the three days. I can hardly wait. We always stay at the Baymont Inn and Suites; nice but nothing fancy. And it seems we usually end up eating at Applebees. I'm a little leery of leaving Sue alone for three nights but she assures me she will be fine.

I think this has caught me up. I hope so anyway. I need to start packing my supplies for my classes; I've already made a list of everything I need to take. I don't know if I'll get any challenges done this week but I am looking forward to starting again next week. I can't tell you how much I've missed checking out everyone's blogs and the world of challenges.

Cheers, Judi

Sketch Saturday #46

This is my card for Sketch Saturday #46 challenge. I've used DP from Bo Bunny's Shabby Princess collection and CS from Bazzill. The stamp is "Buttercup" from Stamps Happen, Inc., which has been colored with Prismacolor colored pencils and blended with gamsol. "Just Because" is from Endless Creations. The border punch is Doily from Martha Stewart and the flourishes are QuicKutz. I've added a touch of White Opal Liquid Pearls to the center of the flowers and Stickles Diamond glitter glue to her wings. The pearls are from Hero Arts.

Thanks for visiting. Enjoy!

Cheers, Judi

Cuttlebug Be Inspired #26

Cuttlebug Be Inspired #26 challenged us to use vellum in an Easter card, along with our Cuttlebug of course! The card I made isn't exactly Easter, more for Spring I guess, but I hope it's okay.

I used the Swiss Dots embossing folder on my vellum. The DP is from the Basic Grey "Blush" paper pad and the CS is Bazzill. (The frame is actually what was left from using the Nestabilities Deckled Rectangle for another card.) The "Just For You" is from Endless Creations, the ribbon is from American Crafts, the flower brad is from Karen Foster Metals and the silver jewels are from Hobby Lobby.

Enjoy!
Cheers, Judi

Sketch Saturday #45

I've been thinking about trying some new challenges and have been checking out Sketch Saturday. The DT has posted some pretty incredible samples and everyone who has participated is equally as talented. I finally decided to jump in with this week's challenge....

Here's the sketch:

And, here's my take on the sketch:

My stamp is Great Impressions "Mice Carrying Tulip" (#E337), colored with Prismacolor colored pencils and blended with gamsol. I used the Martha Stewart "Doily" border punch and three sizes of Nestabilities' "Deckled Rectangles". The CS is Bazzill and the DP is Imaginisce's "Tiptoe Through Tulips" from the For Peep's Sake series. The ribbon is American Crafts, the pearls are Hero Arts, and flowers are Prima. There is a touch of Stickles Diamond glitter glue on the tulip.

Thanks for this wonderful challenge and thanks for visiting. Would love it if you left a comment to let me know you've been here.

Cheers, Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #43

Appropriately enough, the Penny Black Saturday Challenge #43 is "Easter".



I used the PB stamp "Easter March", Hero Arts stamp "Easter Greetings", the Nestabilitilies Small Labels die and the Scalloped Scallop border punch by EK Success. The image is colored with Prismacolor colored pencils and blended with gamsol. The CS is Bazzill and the DP is Doodlebug Easter Argyle. The flower and the gems are also Doodlebug. The button is from stash and there's a touch of Stickles Diamond glitter glue.

Hope everyone has a happy Easter.
Thanks for visiting.
Cheers, Judi