A Piece of Time

Dinner Magnolia & Punch It Out

2010-04-13T20:58:00.005-04:00

This week's challenge is Punch It Out at Just Magnolia. I've paired the sketch from Friday Sketchers Challenge #97 with my new Dinner Tilda. I've colored her with Copics and paper-pieced her outfit. The DP is from the Eva paper pad from Basic Grey and the CS is Bazzill. I used an oval Nestabilities, Swiss Dots embossing folder and the EK Success Flower & Flourish punch. The flowers are Prima, sprayed with Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Mist, the pearls are Hero Art and the ribbon is from stash.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Our Creative Corner - Bows
Cute Card Thursday - Mono Mania
Papertake Weekly - Cutie Pie

Hope you're having a good week and thanks for visiting.

Cheers,

Check It Out

2010-04-05T20:57:00.004-04:00

"Check It Out" is the latest challenge at Penny Black Saturday Challenge. It's also an appropriate title for this update because I haven't participated in a challenge since last September and I'm shouting "check it out", I'm back. Life has been its own challenge the last six months but I'm happy to say that most of it is now behind me.

I've used the sketch from Basic Grey's Challenge, as well as paper from BG's Lemonade paper pad. My little hedgehog and the words are from PB's "Wonderful" transparent set and I've colored with Copics. I also used Swiss Dots embossing folder, square Nestabilities, and MS' Doiley Lace Trim double-edge punch. Flowers are Prima and the jewels are Doodlebug.

I know I've been gone a long time but I'm hoping you'll come back to "check out" my blog again.

Cheers,
Judi

So Much For A New Year

2010-01-17T19:12:00.005-05:00

2009 still seems to be haunting us. Sue came home on December 31, and on January 15, she was back in the hospital having a second surgery on her lower back to remove a "pocket of puss" (her surgeon's words). The infection has also attached itself to the replacement in her left knee which will have to be operated on.

Sue is actually doing quite well after this surgery. She has not experienced the confusion and agitation as she did last time, and she already has all her IVs out. She's done a little walking with her walker and spent quite a bit of time sitting in a chair. The biggest questions now revolve around the antibiotics.... IV or oral, and for how long. The infectious disease doctor should be in tomorrow and hopefully will have some answers.

Even though I haven't participated in any challenges in a while, I did get Christmas cards made. Here are a couple that I sent this year.

Still looking forward to participating in challenges this year, just not sure when.

Cheers,
Judi

January 2010

2010-01-03T19:28:00.004-05:00

Finally January 2010. I can't say I'm sad to have 2009 behind us. Of course, there were some highlights but, for the most part, it was not a very good year.

The year started out full of excitement. I had created this blog and intended to immerse myself in the world of card challenges. Even though I was working, I usually managed a couple of challenges a week. Starting in April, Sue went through two hip replacements which involved a lot of hospital visits and additional responsibilities at home. My posting and participating in challenges were more sporadic but by August, I was looking forward to things getting back to normal.

Unfortunately normal didn't last very long because in September Sue ended up in ER with a cracked knee. She was in an immobilizer for six weeks and then a brace for another four weeks. She was back living in my bedroom and I was playing nurse again, as well as working full time and making sure Mom was okay.

We were now through September and October and being ever the optimist, I was again hoping that, once Sue got the brace off and was walking normally, I could get back to the land of blogs and challenges. But I had no idea of the things to come.

November 16 found me taking Sue to the ER in what ended up being a two week hospital stay and a five week stay at a rehab facility. I'm not going to go into a lot of details but she had a blood infection which almost killed her. Her white blood cell count was 37000 (normal is between 5000 and 10000). I don't think I've ever been through anything so scary. She had to have emergency surgery to remove abscesses which were causing the infection. She was literally out of her mind for over a week and actually remembers nothing of that time.

I got her home on New Year's Eve. We are now looking forward to a healthier 2010 (and I'm hoping to spend a lot less time in hospital rooms!)

My last post was September 27. If you visited me since then, thank you very much and I'm sorry there's been nothing new. I didn't have the energy to blog or participate in challenges. There was nothing creative left in me.

So here's to 2010, a new year of participating in challenges, catching up on old friends' blogs and making new friends.

Cheers, Judi

(PS: I did manage to make Christmas cards which I will post later.)

House Mouse Monday Challenge #52

2009-09-27T19:28:00.005-04:00

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)

2009-09-20T20:35:00.005-04:00

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

2009-09-17T12:19:00.005-04:00

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

2009-09-17T12:07:00.003-04:00

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

2009-09-15T18:22:00.005-04:00

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

2009-09-13T18:10:00.006-04:00

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

2009-09-07T19:43:00.005-04:00

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

2009-08-31T20:39:00.004-04:00

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

2009-08-29T10:31:00.006-04:00

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

2009-08-27T08:56:00.008-04:00

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

2009-08-24T12:19:00.004-04:00

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

2009-08-16T21:29:00.009-04:00

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

2009-08-15T19:27:00.005-04:00

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

2009-08-14T07:04:00.006-04:00

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

2009-08-12T20:40:00.005-04:00

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

2009-08-08T21:12:00.005-04:00

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

2009-08-04T21:57:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-28T20:12:00.006-04:00

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

2009-07-25T18:15:00.006-04:00

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

2009-07-24T20:20:00.007-04:00

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

2009-07-20T20:15:00.007-04:00

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

2009-07-19T13:54:00.007-04:00

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

2009-07-17T21:33:00.009-04:00

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

2009-07-05T13:36:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-04T08:24:00.008-04:00

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

2009-07-03T19:57:00.006-04:00

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

2009-06-10T20:19:00.004-04:00

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

2009-06-07T15:53:00.009-04:00

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

2009-05-25T20:10:00.003-04:00

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

2009-05-25T19:30:00.005-04:00

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

2009-05-17T19:19:00.004-04:00

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

2009-05-14T12:03:00.009-04:00

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

2009-05-02T14:41:00.009-04:00

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

2009-04-15T21:54:00.007-04:00

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

2009-04-13T20:40:00.005-04:00

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

2009-04-07T20:12:00.007-04:00

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

2009-04-06T16:22:00.004-04:00

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

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #42

2009-03-30T16:08:00.006-04:00

"Think Spring", that's not so hard to do today. It's still kinda cold but the sun is shining just as bright as can be. Much different than yesterday when it was snowy and windy. So participating in the Penny Black Saturday Challenge #42 was total enjoyment.

Since I can't wait for my daffodils to bloom, I chose the BP stamp "seeing your face...". I think this stamp is so cute and the epitome of spring. I colored my little hedgehog and his daffodil with Prismacolor colored pencils (blended with gamsol). All the paper is from the K & Company "Daffodil" paper pad. I used my new EK Success Zig Zag Stitch (EXPL8024) edger punch, as well as a Punch Bunch punch and the Nestabilities oval and scallop oval dies. The flowers are Prima and the bling is "Gemstones" by Hero Arts.

I can't wait for spring. Hope my daffodil makes you feel like it's just around the corner. Enjoy.

Cheers, Judi

House Mouse Monday Challenge #30

2009-03-28T19:14:00.005-04:00

"Shaped Card"... anything but a square or rectangle. That's the House Mouse Monday Challenge #30. So I pulled out my Nestabilities and ended up with a scalloped circle.

The House Mouse stamp is "Bird Watching", colored with Prismacolor colored pencils and blended with gamsol. The DP is "Petite Sunrise Posies" from the DCWV Posies Glitter Print pack and the CS is SU. "Thinking of You" is Endless Creations C27. Ribbon is from stash and there's a touch of Diamond Stickles.

Enjoy, and thanks for looking.
Cheers, Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #41

2009-03-24T19:49:00.006-04:00

I remember doodling as something done in the margins of that ruled paper we used in class to take notes, and usually included some boy's initials in a heart. Who knew that one day doodling would be a recognized technique in cardmaking.

This week's challenge for Penny Black Saturday Challenge #41 is doodling. It's been a long time since I doodled but I did give it try for this challenge.

All the stamped images are from "Critter Party". I used two sizes of Nestabilities Labels One and the Swiss Dots Embossing Folder. The DP is from "Floral Prints" from DCWV paper stack. The CS is from stash. Ribbon is American Crafts Elements ribbon pack from QVC, pearls are from Hero Arts, flowers are from Prima and the touch of glitter is Stickles Diamond.

Try doodling again. It really is quite fun.

Cheers, Judi

Cuttlebug Be Inspired #23

2009-03-22T19:13:00.009-04:00

Cuttlebug Be Inspired Challenge #23 is to use punches (along with the Cuttlebug) in unusual ways. I have to admit that I must not have read (or at least comprehended) what the challenge was because, not until after finishing my card and getting ready to post it, did I actually pick up the use punches "in unusual" ways. I don't think I really captured the unusual ways.

Anyway, I still had fun making this card and am really quite pleased with it. I must give credit to Sue Nelson (heartprints.net) for the inspiration. I fashioned this card after a baby card she had created. She has a wonderful website full of absolutely fabulous samples; everyone should check it out.

For my card, I used:

Cuttlebug Swiss Dots Embossing Folder

Scor-Pal

Martha Stewart Doily Border Punch

Endless Creations (#E16) Stamp

Sparkle Gems by Hero Arts

The Art Institute Ultra Fine Eggplant Glitter

Paper and ribbon from stash

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers, Judi

House Mouse Monday Challenge #29

2009-03-21T15:40:00.007-04:00

I've haven't fallen off the face of the earth, really. I'm going to catch up on some challenges and then add a post about what's been going on.

First is House Mouse Monday Challenge #29 which is this wonderful sketch.

So, here's my take:

I used "Buzzy Friends". Hop-it and Bumble have been colored with Prismacolor colored pencils and their wings have been given a touch of The Art Institute Crystal Glitter. Paper is all from stash, as well as the brads and black pom poms. I used the standard circle and the scallop circle Nestabilities and the flowers are Prima.

Hope you enjoy. Come back later for another post.

Cheers, Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #39

2009-03-10T21:14:00.008-04:00

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #39 is a Recipe 3 2 1: 3 brads, 2 ribbons and 1 flower. This is my first "recipe" challenge and I quite enjoyed it. Here's my card....

The "recipe" is:
Choose paper (mine are from stash and scraps)
Cut some with Nestabilities standard oval and scallop oval dies
Run some through the Cuttlebug using Swiss Dots embossing folder
Pick transparent stamp from Penny Black "Critter Party"
Stamp with Ancient Page "Coal Black" ink
Color with Prismacolor colored pencils
Blend with gamsol
Add three brads from stash
Add two ribbons: flowered from Michael's and white from QVC American Craft Elements ribbon pack
Add one flower from QVC Prima Marketing flower pack
Add Stickles Diamond glitter glue for a touch of sparkle

Hope you enjoy the results of my "recipe". Thanks for taking a look.
Cheers, Judi

Rainy, Lazy Saturday

2009-03-07T20:50:00.008-05:00

This is my calendar for March. Boy is it appropriate for today. It has been raining ever since I got up this morning. It came down so hard for a while that we ended up with a small pond off our back patio. It dissipated this afternoon when the rain slowed down. It didn't stop the turkeys from having lunch in the back yard though.

All in all, we really had a pretty nice week. I think we had at least six straight days with sunshine even though it was very cold. It was nice to see the sun. The finches are ever so slightly starting to turn yellow, the Red Wing Blackbirds are back at our feeders and the daffodils are up about 2". I think spring is actually on the way!

On Monday, we went to an orientation meeting for Sue's hip replacement surgery. It was very informative. It's pretty amazing the things they can do to the human body. She'll be in the hospital three days after her surgery which has her coming home on Monday sometime. She has to be re-trained to do a lot of every day tasks... like getting in and out of the car, in and out of bed, using the bathroom and showering, even up and down stairs. I've planned to take the whole week off but will see how she does. Maybe I can leave her alone for a couple of hours towards the end of the week.

Had dinner with Marla on Thursday night. I was her last client, so we went to Applebee's when we were done. I had the mini bacon cheese burgers and fries (ate two and brought Sue home one). They were very good. Of course, I couldn't leave without having a dessert shooter (hot fudge sundae). Just the right amount.

Sue and I spent this afternoon working on Mom's taxes. It didn't take us as long as I thought it might. We do seem to be missing one piece of information... the report from Wachovia/AG Edwards with all the trust figures. We may have to see about getting another copy. Once we get that, the information will be ready to send to her tax preparer (although it seems we've done all the work!)

The schedule came out this week for the classes for the Great Lakes Mega Meet. I don't think I'm going to take as many as I did last year. I'm not interested in the scrapbooking layout classes, but do like the mini book ones. Registration is Wednesday night so have to make my final decisions soon.

Have a good week.

Cheer, Judi

House Mouse Monday Challenge #27

2009-03-07T11:19:00.009-05:00

Finally, I've completed a challenge. Don't you hate it when life interferes with stamping?? Every evening this week seemed to present some obstacle which prevented me from spending my allotted time in the craft room.

I started working on the House Mouse Monday Challenge #27 on Tuesday but didn't get it finished until last night. The challenge this week was "All About chipboard". Well, I didn't have any so, to be able to play, I just had to go buy some and that meant a trip to Hobby Lobby. But, then, what are lunch hours for???

Anyway, here's my project using chipboard.

The stamp is "I Can Catch It" and Amanda is colored with Prismacolor colored pencils (blended with gamsol). The DP is "Sweet & Sassy Green Floral" by The Paper Studio and the CS is Bazzill. After stamping Amanda on white CS, it was cut using the square scallop Nestabilities. The pink frame was made using two square Nesties run together through the Cuttlebug. The chipboard is a glittered flower pack also by The Paper Studio. Lastly, the ribbon is from Michael's.

Thanks for looking.
Cheers, Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #38

2009-03-03T19:36:00.009-05:00

Penny Black Saturday's Challenge #38 is "Something to Eat". I was very limited in my food choices so have opted for a birthday cupcake.

This card was totally made with bits and pieces from my paper scrap stash. The PB stamp is from the transparent set "Critter Party", which I colored with Prismacolor colored pencils (blended with gamsol). I used two sizes of Nestabilities Labels One and the Martha Stewart "Doily Lace" punch. Red and black brads are also from stash.

Enjoy!

Judi

Cuttlebug Be Inspired #20

2009-03-01T13:46:00.008-05:00

This is the sketch which is the Cuttlebug Be Inspired #20 challenge for this week.

For my project, I used:

Cuttlebug Swiss Dots Embossing Folder

DP from Basic Grey's "Scarlet Letter" paper pad

"flourish" die from QuicKuts (used in my Cuttlebug)

"Pebble Brad" by Making Memories

Ribbon, white letters and flower from The Paper Studio

Here's my take on the sketch.

Cheers, Judi

Taking A Week Off

2009-02-28T19:46:00.006-05:00

I've haven't been on line much since my last post on Monday. It's been kind of a weird week but I'm now ready to get back at blogging and participating in challenges.

Work has been very slow. I worry some about my job because my utilization has been so low. I've been spending a lot of time working on marketing efforts and I think this is taken into consideration. Our regional director was in the office on Friday; he made it very clear that things were going to be very rough but he was really hoping there would be no more lay-offs. Of course, there were no guarantees.

Since it has been slow at work, I took a half day off on Wednesday. My plan was to drive up to Arnies (a great arts and crafts store about 40 minutes way) to take advantage of their "25% off everything you can fit in a bag" sale. They have a great selection of House Mouse stamps, Penny Black stamps, Cuttlebug folders and dies, and Nestabilities, along with any other stamping and scrapbooking goodies one can think of. I was ready to spend some money. But, I live in Michigan and you can never count on the weather in February. By the time I got half way there, it was snowing great big flakes and raining both at the same time. I just didn't dare go any further so I turned around and came home. I still have that money burning a hole in my pocket!

Sue and I were also meeting Barb and Sandy for dinner on Wednesday. We met up at Ruby Tuesday's and had a great time. We always do when the four of us are together (we really need to do it more often). We talk and laugh, and commiserate with each other about what's going on in our lives. Barb, Sandy and I each had steak. Sue had a broken tooth pulled earlier in the morning so she had soup... good soup.... but just soup none-the-less. We all shared a dessert, even Sue. It had ice cream with it.

Sue and I have also started helping Mom with her income tax. She has to fill out a workbook for her accountant which has become too much for her to handle. I have to admit that I'm not sure what the accountant does for her when I look at all this paperwork we have to complete for him. We may try TurboTax next year.

This is also the first anniversary of our Dad's death. I can't believe he's been gone a year; sometimes it seems like only yesterday that he was puttering in his workshop or trying so very hard to remember how to use his computer. But I know for Mom, it has been a very long year. They had celebrated their 63 wedding anniversary just before he passed away. She's never lived alone and, even though she lives in an assisted living community with lots of people, she still feels very much alone. Sue and I have tried very hard to help her through this year, but I'm not sure we've always succeeded. We all miss him very much.

But, there was also a very high spot this week. I found that I won the "Cuttlebug Be Inspired" award for Challenge #19. This is my first challenge win. I was dumbfounded. I didn't even know until I happened to check the comments on my blog and found all these congratulations. I didn't know for what. Then I got an e-mail at work from Barb and things started to make sense. I feel very privileged to have been chosen for this award.

So that's been my week. It's now time to put stamp to paper again and get working on those challenges.... Cuttlebug's Wednesday challenge will be my first.

Cheers, Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #37

2009-02-23T11:39:00.006-05:00

Get Well Soon is the challenge this week over at the Penny Black Saturday Challenge. I chose the PB stamp "Letter and Daisy" which I colored with Prismacolor colored pencils. The DP happens to be from Penny Black (I have no idea where I got it but I've had it forever), the CS is Bazzill and the handmade paper is from my stash. I used Fluid Chalk Creamy Brown to add a bit of distress to the paper and then added lace from Hobby Lobby and the bow of Michaels. "Get Will Soon" is SU.

Hope everyone is having a good Monday. It may only be 17 degrees here but the sun is shining. Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers, Judi

Cuttlebug Be Inspired #19

2009-02-21T15:14:00.010-05:00

Cuttlebug Be Inspired #19 challenges us to use acetate in our project. I decided I wanted to use my new "Build-A-Flower" set but, I have to admit, this card took me forever to make. Each petal of the flower has to be handled separately.... cut, then embossed... which means I did this 15 times (5 petals x 3 layers each). I'm not sure you can actually see the embossed acetate layer in the photos but it is really there (the top layer of each petal).

Besides the Build-A-Flower set, I used the Swiss Dots embossing folder as well as a border from the With Love embossing set. The DP is The Paper Studio from Hobby Lobby and the CS is Bazzill. I also used the Martha Stewart punch Lattice Arch and "thinking of you" is Stampendous.

Have a great day. Hope you come back again.

Cheers, Judi

House Mouse Monday Challenge #25

2009-02-18T21:34:00.006-05:00

Jami of the House Mouse Monday Challenge has created a wonderful sketch for this week's challenge. I really like this sketch and can see many uses for it.

I chose "Something's Fishy", stamped it in Coal Black Ancient Page and colored it with Prismacolor colored pencils (with gamsol). I used the oval and scallop oval Nestabilities. The DP came from Hobby Lobby, the CS is Bazzill, the fiber is called "Just a Little Daisy" fiber bundle which came from a scrapbooking convention and the brads are from my stash.

I'm off to bed. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Cheers, Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #36

2009-02-17T19:52:00.006-05:00

If you've visited my blog before, you may notice that it has changed a little. I have been playing around with it to make it more my own. It definitely is a work in progress.

This week's Penny Black Saturday Challenge is a sketch challenge and here is my card. I used Penny Black "Cat Bath" (1458J) and colored the image with Prismacolor colored pencils (blended with gamsol). The dark green CS is Bazzill and the DP is from DCWV Nana's Nursery "Baby Girl" paper pack. The flowers are Prima, the black ribbon is from Michael's, the jewels in the collar are Hero Arts, glitter glue is Stickles Diamond and the brads are from my stash.

Thanks for visiting.
Cheers, Judi

Cuttlebug Be Inspired #18

2009-02-14T20:20:00.008-05:00

This is becoming a Saturday habit... two posts in one day. Cuttlebug Be Inspired #18 asked us to create a card in a different shape. Wasn't sure what to do so I took a square card and made it into an octagon. I'm not sure why, but I'm not very happy with this card. I guess that happens every now and then.

The Sarah Kay image is my friend Barb's which I had stamped on New Year's Eve. I embossed the blue card stock with Swiss dots, as well as the punched flowers (unfortunately, after putting glitter glue on the flowers, the dots don't show up very well). The DP and the rub-on are Melissa Francis. I used Prismacolor colored pencils (with gamsol), lace from Hobby Lobby, ribbon from Michaels, Stickles Diamond glitter glue, Hero Arts pearls and EK Success punches.

Done for the day. Thanks for taking the time to look.

Cheers, Judi

House Mouse Monday Challenge #24

2009-02-14T11:15:00.007-05:00

Typical week; here it is Saturday and I haven't posted anything since Monday. The week just gets away from me. I work, come home, (sometimes have a quick nap), have dinner and try to spend time each evening in the craft room, and then it's time for bed. I'm not the fastest creator so it can take several evenings to finish up a card. And, I made the mistake of joining Facebook. I don't know what that's going to entail but everyone says be careful, it's very addicting.

It was relatively slow at the office. Still a little worried about lay-offs. We missed out on another project which means no new work, but there was an interview on Friday which went very well. One can only hope.

I went to the dentist on Monday and had a glowing report. Now if only I could remember to floss more. Sue also had a doctor's appointment and we found out that she has to have hip replacement surgery. Finally some answers, she's been walking about like a question mark for a couple of months now.

Well, I digress... this post is really about The House Mouse Monday Challenge #24 "Tall and Thin". Another great challenge as this is not a card size that I work with very often.

"It's My Party" (HMJR1059) was stamped in coal black Ancient Page and colored with Prismacolor pencils (with gamsol). "Happy Birthday" (D175) is from Endless Creations and stamped in Encore Ultimate Metallic Blue. The DP is Frances Meyer (I've had it for years) and the CS is Bazzill. Everything was edged in Encore Blue and Fluid Chalk Chestnut Roan. Lastly, I used a Martha Stewart punch, Prima flowers, Hero Arts gemstones and ribbon from Michaels.

I need a birthday card for a friend at work. I think this one will work perfectly.

Enjoy and thanks for looking.
Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!

Cheers, Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #35

2009-02-09T20:11:00.007-05:00

The Penny Black Saturday Challenge #35 is "Romance", appropriate for the upcoming Valentine's Day. Not much into mushy cards which means I don't have a lot of heart stamps... so I had to convert a Christmas stamp into a Valentine. Hope you enjoy.

I used "The Light Brigade" (PB 3916K), colored with Prismacolor pencils (blended with a bit of gamsol). The heart paper is called "Pastel Hearts" from Hot Off The Press; all the rest of the papers are from my stash. "Perfectly Paisley" embossing folder was used on one of the pink pieces. The heart punch is Marvy, "Hugs & Kisses" is Darcie's and the glitz is Stickles Diamond glitter glue.

Thanks for looking. Come back again.
Cheers, Judi

House Mouse #23 and Cuttlebug Be Inspired #17

2009-02-07T19:19:00.007-05:00

Well I'm back... and with a new card.

Valentines and Love seem to be the theme of the week, as can be seen in both the House Mouse Monday Challenge #23 and Cuttlebug Be Inspired #17. I have combined both these challenges into the same card.

The stamp is Love Bunny and Itty Bit and Hop-It have been colored with Prismacolor colored pencils (blended with gamsol). I used circle and scallop circle Nestabilities, the Swiss Dots Embossing Folder, Fiskars border punch, The Paper Studio red dotted ribbon (from Hobby Lobby), "I Love You" is Stampin' Up and red Stickles glitter glue.

I hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day and give the person you love a great big hug.

Cheers, Judi

Been Gone Too Long

2009-02-07T12:46:00.009-05:00

Okay, I've been gone a long time. Can't believe I haven't posted since last Saturday. We've progressed from January and near zero temperatures, to February and 50 degrees. Who'd ever figure that would happen. I don't suppose it's going to last though. I'm really ready for spring.

Since it is February, it's time to add my next calendar page. We always make calendars at our annual New Year's Eve party and I thought I'd post mine each month. A little late, but does it really matter??!! I love this old SU set; these little mice are so cute.

Marla (my hairdresser and friend) came over last Saturday evening to stamp and work on cards. She's fairly new to card making but I'm trying me best to get her hooked. I'll admit it, we have a lot of "stuff" and she loved playing with it all (even though it was a bit overwhelming). I do think she bought herself a Cuttlebug. It's only a matter of time.

Besides working, the rest of last week was spent prepping for a card making session on Thursday with a group of my co-workers. This group so enjoyed the Christmas cards we made that they wanted another session. We decided to make Valentines during our lunch hour. I put together packets with all the paper they would need, but they left them to do their own stamping and adding any embellishments they might want. This is my sample card:

Several of them followed my card exactly, but I was suprised (and very pleased) by the group that ventured off on their own. They all did a really good job.... and they wanted to know when the next class would be. I don't know if I can come up with something for St. Patrick's Day, so will probably be Easter or spring.

Thus, I'm now two challenges behind and a new one posted today. I hope to be back this evening with a card for House Mouse Monday Challenge and Cuttlebug Inspiration. Figuring it will be a two-for-one.

Cheers for now,

Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #34

2009-01-31T20:38:00.006-05:00

Wow, two challenges posted in one day! That's a first for me.

The Penny Black Saturday Challenge #34 is to create a circle card. I used an assortment of circle and circle scallop Nestabilities, along with the Penny Black stamp "Marching Mouse" and "Eva Extravagance" paper by Basic Grey.

My mouse is colored with Prismacolor colored pencils, the ribbon is from Michaels and there's that touch of Stickles Diamond glitter glue.

That's it for today. Thanks for looking.

Cheers, Judi

Cuttlebug Be Inspired #16

2009-01-31T13:25:00.010-05:00

The Cuttlebug Inspiration this week is to add distressing to your project. I'm not big into distressing but figured I needed to give it a try.

This week's inspiration was brought to us by Basic Grey so, in their honor, I dug out several of my Basic Grey paper pads and decided on paper from Scarlet's Letter. I used two different size punches to create the flowers (small flower by Marvy and large flower by Punch It) and then ran them both through the Swiss Dots embossing folder. I sanded the edges and the dots, plus added Dark Brown Fluid Chalk ink. This ink was also used around the edges of the DP. The stamp is called "A Basket for all Seasons" by Mostly Animals (I've had it forever) and it was also run through the Cuttlebug before edging with the Dark Brown ink. The brown ribbon is DCWV bought from QVC and the copper brads are from my stash.

Since I raised the flowers using pop dots, I also tried to give the petals a bit of curl with a pencil. I've added another picture to show the dimension but it didn't really show it very well.

Thanks for taking a look. "Distressing" can really be quite fun; you should try it some time.

Cheers, Judi

House Mouse Monday Challenge #22

2009-01-28T20:42:00.007-05:00

Paper Piercing.... that's the challenge this week for the House Mouse Monday Challenge #22. You must include some sort of paper piercing in your project. I did a little paper piercing in a class I took last summer and the one thing I remember is that you can keep your holes in a straight line by following the grid of a piece of plastic canvas mesh. So naturally, after that class, I had to buy some plastic canvas for all the paper piercing I was going to do. Yesterday, when I started this project, I had to dig it out of a drawer! Go figure...

With plastic canvas in hand, here's my take on paper piercing for HM #22. I used "Gentle Rain" and colored Muzzy with Prismacolor colored pencils. The paper came from some long ago purchase of a 6x6 paper pack, the ribbon is from Michaels, the butterfly is K&Company and, as usual, there is a touch of Stickles Diamond glitter glue.

Thanks for looking. All comments are appreciated.

Cheers, Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #33

2009-01-26T22:07:00.007-05:00

The past weekend was actually not too bad. The sun came out on several occasions and we only had a few flurries. Of course, the temperature was near 0, but did I mention that the sun came out??

It was a typical weekend... we went grocery shopping on Saturday, took Mom out to dinner on Sunday and I finally spent time organizing my Nestabilities and clear stamps. I've got my Nestabilities in CD cases with a magnetic strip. I'm much happier with the magnet than the double sided tape I was using. I also worked on updating this blog and setting up a profile in Paper Craft Planet. I haven't joined any groups yet, that's next.

Anyway, on to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge #33. The challenge this week is "Frame It". There must be one frame in our entry. I used a transparent stamp from "Critter Party", my frame was made with my Nestabilities and I colored the image with Prismacolor colored pencils. The paper is from Making Memories Kids Collection-Emma, the ribbon is from Michaels and the flowers are brads with their prongs cut off.

Have a great week. Thanks for checking out my card. Would love it if you left a comment.

Cheers, Judi

Cuttlebug Be Inspired #15

2009-01-24T19:06:00.004-05:00

Cuttlebug Be Inspired #15 challenge (http://cuttlebugchallenge.blogspot.com/2009/01/be-inspired-15-draft.html) is a sketch this week. I really had fun with this. I used a package of heart stickers from Jolee's by You, white and gold CS from stash, and the Cuttlebug Perfectly Paisley embossing folder. Unfortunately, I don't have any idea where the "Congratulations" stamp came from (it's a foam stamp I've had for years).

Enjoy, Judi

House Mouse Monday Challenge #21

2009-01-23T19:49:00.010-05:00

This week's House Mouse Monday Challenge #21 (http://housemouse-challenge.blogspot.com/) is a color challenge. We are supposed to use Cameo Coral (a slight peachy pink), Old Olive (a rich olive green), and Night of Navy (navy blue in its finest!) in our project.

I struggled with this challenge. I changed out the paper several times and re-colored the image at least three times. I did finally manage to come up with a card that I really like.

The stamp I chose is "Wreath Love". The DP and flower sticker are K&Company; card stock is SU Cameo Coral and Night of Navy; Olive CS is Bazzill and ribbon from Michaels. I used Nestabilities (2 sizes), a Martha Stewart punch, and Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder.

Thanks for looking.

Cheers, Judi

Catching Up

2009-01-22T21:02:00.002-05:00

Sue thinks if I'm going to use this as a journal, I should be creating an entry every day. She was surprised that I hadn't entered anything since Sunday. I tried to explain that my life isn't really that exciting and there's not that much to record.

Work has been busy but not overwhelming. We're still working on one bond application for a May election. Review meeting at Treasury is tomorrow... so glad I only type the documents. We've had a new restaurant open near the office, Chipolte. Yesterday the entire office was invited for a free lunch before the restaurant opened, a test run for the staff so to speak. The food was excellent. I had a carnitas (pork) burrito bowl along with chips and guacamole. Today, they were offering a free burrito to anyone who came in between 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.; at 11:00, the line was around the building.

We've had pretty good weather this whole week. Monday and Tuesday were our sunniest days since November 17 and 18. It was still fairly cold but so nice to see the sun all day. It's warmed up today (high of 32) which also means it's cloudy. I think it's supposed to snow this weekend.

I've been working on the House Mouse Monday Challenge the last several nights. It's almost done and I'm hoping to post tomorrow (glitter's drying at the moment). I'm also going to attempt the Cuttlebug Challenge, although I don't have any ideas for it yet.

I joined Paper Craft Planet this week. It's touted as being "Facebook" for paper crafters. I need to spend some time digging around in it. House Mouse Monday Challenge has a group which is where I found the link.

New episode of CSI... time to go.
Cheers, Judi

Let's Get Dotty - PBSC #32

2009-01-18T12:34:00.007-05:00

The sun is finally shining today and the temperature has actually reached the 20's... a heat wave after the 0 degree temperatures we've had. The birds in our backyard are having a feeding frenzy now that they can get to the feeders again.

Last week just flew by. Hard to believe it's time for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge. This week's challenge is "Let's Get Dotty", incorporating dots of any kind into your image. After such a dreary week, I decided I need something cheerful and bright. Yellow did the trick.

The Penny Black stamp is Make A Wish (342J), the flowers are Prima, and the ribbon is from Michaels. I used the Swiss Dots embossing folder, a Martha Stewart border punch and Primsacolor colored pencils (blended with gamsol). The yellow swiss dot paper is from PaperPatch and the glitter glue is Stickles Diamond.

Hope my card brightens your day! Thanks for looking.
Cheers, Judi

Cuttlebug Be Inspired #14

2009-01-15T19:37:00.004-05:00

This is a week of firsts for me. I joined my first challenge ever (Penny Black Saturday Challenge), which also meant it was the first time I joined PBSC. I then joined for the first time House Mouse Monday Challenge and today will be my first time joining the Cuttlebug challenge. I have loved seeing everyone's contributions to these challenges and am so glad I decided to take the plunge.

The Cuttlebug Be Inspired #14 challenge should have been very easy.... just pick your favorite embossing folder and use it on a card. I guess I own too many embossing folders because it was a very tough decision. I finally decided on Swiss Dots. It was the first embossing folder I ever bought (hmmmm, there's that "first" again) and it's really what made me decide I had to have a Cuttlebug!

Anyway, here's my card. The hummingbird is an "E-Z Rub-On Transfer" from Royal Langnickel (www.royalbrush.com). I used a Fiskars border punch around the edge and the paper was from Hobby Lobby. And, of course, the Swiss Dots embossing folder.

Thanks for looking. I would love to hear from you.
Cheers, Judi

House Mouse Monday Challenge #20 - ATC

2009-01-13T21:59:00.010-05:00

Monday's House Mouse Challenge is to create an ATC. I haven't made ATCs in a while but, for my first House Mouse challenge, this sounded like fun. So I dug out my stash of stuff I had left from ATCs and went to work.

The stamp is "Monica Romances" and Monica has been colored with Prismacolor colored pencils. The beads, doily and heart charm came from Michaels and the paper is from PaperPatch. Heart punch is EK Success, "Love" is Hero Arts and, of course, there is a touch of Stickles glitter glue.

Thanks for looking.
Judi

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #31

2009-01-10T22:08:00.009-05:00

Today I am participating in my first ever challenge. I've been checking out a lot of them over the last several months and just love the Penny Black Saturday Challenge. This week's challenge is the color scheme Pink and Brown. So here's my card.

Stamps: Penny Black (586K), Endless Creations (B151)

Cuttlebug: Swiss Dots Embossing Folder

Nestabilities: Scallop Rectangle

Paper: Daisy D, My Mind's Eye

Punches: EC Success (flowers - 2 sizes)

Hand-made paper (from stash)

Brads (from stash)

Tombow Markers/Blending Pen

Stickles Diamond Glitter Glue

Thanks for looking. I would love it if you'd leave a comment; I really appreciate them.

A Couple of Days... just like any other day

2009-01-08T20:09:00.014-05:00

Not much going on the last two days. Work hasn't been too bad. We got our school bond app sent to the Treasury Department for review which is a huge load off my plate. It was the largest application we had ever sent in... 17 sites total. Let's just hope it passes in May.

Woke up to snow this morning. Guess we got a couple of inches. It's supposed to turn really cold starting this weekend and continuing through next week. Glad we don't have to go anywhere.

We had a department holiday party in December and I volunteered to teach everyone how to make cards. They seemed to really enjoy it and now they've decided they want to make Valentines. We had several hours for our holiday party but this time, we are going to play during a lunch. My challenge is to create a couple of cards that 10 women who don't know much about stamping can make in an hour. How do I get myself into these situations??? I haven't any idea what kind of cards to design so I guess that's how I'll spend my weekend.

Even though I haven't made anything new in the last couple of days, I did find an ATC I made a while back. It is made with alcohol inks (Trias) on glossy cardstock. I really love the look you get with Trias. The colors blend in such unusual patterns. I used an Impression Obsession stamp and mounted it on black cardstock.

Birthday Card #2

2009-01-06T21:41:00.006-05:00

Today is my Mom's birthday, 85 years old. Sue and I went over to see her after work. She had already had supper but the cook at Sunrise of Cascade (assisted living community where Mom lives) had prepared her an apple pie. We had a piece with her, along with the other folks she eats with. It was very good pie.

This is the card I made her. The stamp is "Aspire" by Penny Black, the patterned paper is "Aspen Petite" by Karen Neuburger, the purple card stock is from Hobby Lobby. I colored with Tombow makers and gave the stamped flowers a touch of Stickles glitter glue. The paper flowers are from my stash.

I was going to use this card for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge until I realized it didn't have any embossing. It would have been really embarrassing to have my first ever challenge post not meet the requirements. Too bad... I had a lesson in posting a link and I'd like to give it a try.

Birthday Card

2009-01-05T22:23:00.013-05:00

I've been working on a couple of birthday cards; one for the office and one for my Mom. Here's the one for the office. I'm not very happy with the photo. The colors were much more vibrant than what this shows. I'll have to keep working on that.

I used Stampendous' Fluffles The Cat, an assortment of card stock scraps, the Cuttlebug Happy Birthday embossing folder on the bottom layer, a bit of green gingham ribbon, a touch of Stickles glitter glue and I colored Fluffles with Prismacolor colored pencils.

I hope to post my Mom's card tomorrow.

Back to Work Tomorrow

2009-01-04T20:10:00.000-05:00

It's back to work tomorrow. I've been on vacation since 12/24; I like being on vacation.

We woke to ice and rain this morning but by noon it had cleared up. I've spent my last vacation day as we would any typical Sunday... reading the newspaper, having a big breakfast, taking a couple of naps, making a couple of cards... just relaxing the day away. Sue does have a special doctor's appointment tomorrow so we took a dry run downtown to find the office.

I'm still hoping to get a card posted to a challenge sometime this week. I just don't quite understand the linking process so I need to see if Barb can explain it to me. I'm sure it's really a very easy process once I get my mind around it.

I hope I wake up on time tomorrow morning. I've gotten used to staying up later and waking up later. Back to the real world!

Second New Year's Resolution

2009-01-03T21:13:00.000-05:00

Well, I completed my first New Year's resolution with the creation of this blog. My second resolution is to stamp more and to join in at least one stamping challenge a month.

When I discovered the world of blogging, I spent hours following the links from one blog to another, taking in all the wonderful cards and craft projects out there. I must admit I was overwhelmed by the amount of material posted. I had lost some interest in stamping until I found this community of stampers and papercrafters who shared project after project with the entire world.

Bouncing from blog to blog, I found out about all the stamping challenges out there. I especially like the House Mouse Monday Challenge, the Penny Black Saturday Challenge, and the Cuttlebug Challenge. As soon as I figure out how to link my project to one of these challenges, I'm going to join the fun.

I did work on a couple of cards today. I need one for the office on Monday and one for my Mom's 85 birthday on Tuesday. It's a pleasure working in our craft room since it got a major cleaning for our New Year's Eve get-together.... now if I can just keep it this way!!

New Year's Eve Stamping Party

2009-01-02T21:04:00.000-05:00

For the last 8 years, my sister and I have had a New Year's Eve stamping party and this year was no exception. The first couple of years there were 5 of us; we dropped to 4 but this year we were back up to 5 (me, Sue, Barb, Sandy and Marla). We usually start early afternoon on New Year's Eve and continue through New Year's Day. We stamp, laugh, eat, stamp some more, eat some more, watch the "ball" drop at midnight, and stamp and laugh some more. We have a regular pajama party, while playing with stamps, ink, paper, glitter or anything else we can get our hands on.

Tradition dictates that we start off by making calendars. We first made calendars that fit in the 3x5 acrylic frames but a couple of years ago, we moved to the 4x6 frames (more stamping space!). It's amazing how 5 people can all be working with the same calendar, yet the end results all look so different. I'm going to start off each month with a copy of mine. (I need to figure out how to get better photographs of my cards.)

After calendars, everyone starts working on whatever cards they might need for the coming year. Sue and I always have to work on cards for our Mom as her birthday is the 6th. We also play with new products (Cuttlebug was a huge hit) or work on other projects. There is always a flurry of activity and conversation. We all have very different styles and we always show off what we've completed.

There's always plenty of food around; everyone contributes. Snacks and diet pop are a given. We try to have something substantial (pizza or meat and cheese tray or this year's favorite, mac and cheese) for supper. And, of course, the evening wouldn't be complete without an assortment of sweets.

Breakfast has really become a brunch. We have a wonderful egg/bread/ham/cheese casserole (recipe actually calls it an "egg souffle"), along with fruit, OJ and/or coffee and sweet rolls. Gives us all the energy we need for another round of stamping.

We tend to start packing things up about 4:00 p.m. After several trips out to cars, our guests head home, and Sue and I collapse tired but content.

It's a wonderful way to start off the new year... doing something you love in the company of good friends.

2009... A New Year

2009-01-01T22:32:00.000-05:00

Wow, I've accomplished my first New Year's resolution. I've created a blog. My friend, Barb, told me it was very easy... and it was. I must admit I didn't discover blogs and blogging until last fall. I know, I know, I'm very behind the times. But it was full throttle forward, once I figured out what everyone was talking about.

My life isn't very exciting but it seems time to start a journal (and my typing is much better than my handwriting). I also hope to share some of my card-making and paper-crafting projects, maybe inspiring someone along the way.

If anyone comes to visit, thanks! I'd love it if you'd leave me a comment.

So, here's to 2009 and recording my life, a (small) Piece of Time.