Happy Birthday Henry Mouse

This cute little mouse is scurrying away with his cupcake....what a way to celebrate a birthday! When I saw this stamp I just had to have it! My sister makes the cutest little cupcake beads and I thought it would be perfect for the end of a small bookmark that could go right in the card. I have been giving these to some of the birthday girls at work and everyone loves them so far!

The stamp is available at 7 Kids College Fund.

Have a fabulous Friday!

Butterfly Tilda

This dreary weather really has me wishing for spring (okay, maybe early summer) and butterflies. Here is my favorite girl, Tilda, sporting her butterfly wings. Doesn't she just look like a cute little bug ready to fly away! The image was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with copics. The paper and buttons are Basic Grey and the border punch is Stampin' Up.

You can find the image at Magnolia-licious store. Diana is the best and her new store is really cool! You can also find some really good tutorials on her first site. And, there are some awesome ideas to try at the Magnolia-licious Highlights blog. Be sure to take a look at all three!

Mod Teen Card

I made this card from a set by My Favorite Things (I think). It has that "you go girl" attitude to it.....just like some of the teenagers I teach every day! I love pink paired with black so these papers were right up my alley. Wishing all of you a wonderful Wednesday!

Funny Bunny

Don't you just love this cute little bunny. Usually bunnies make me think of Easter but this one is just cute in a non-Eastery sort of way. This also makes me think of nice bright sunny days, the opposite of the weather we are having here this week. Have a cheery Tuesday!

Playful Kitty

This stamp is an old stamp that I haven't inked up in a while. I just love how the kitty looks like it has been out playing and getting into everything all afternoon....makes me think of my cat Suki. He is thoroughly rotten, and has claimed my son rather than me. That's okay, I don't mind that Chris gets licked in the face every morning instead of me!

The cute kitty stamp is available at 7 Kids College Fund.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Sweet Tilda

I am such a huge fan of shaped cards! I also love my Magnolia stamps and this little Tilda spoke to me the first time I saw her. That lollipop reminded me of those huge swirly lollipops we used to see at the fair or at the amusement park.....the ones my parents would never buy me. Of course, now I understand why. One bite and they fall completely apart, or one lick and your hair is stuck to it forever! I couldn't resist, I had to go all out on the glitter while I was at it so the pink background, the blue and yellow papers used for the letters, and the polka dot paper are all glittery. This card really, really sparkles in person. Too bad I had to photograph it after dark and indoors....I hate the lighting on this picture.

I used my cricut and SCAL to cut the letters out of blue and yellow glitter paper, then layered them to give more of a shadow effect.

Hope you all have a great weekend and a very sweet and spooky Halloween!

Clean and Simple Tilda

I made this card Monday after finding a new embossing folder and sanding block at my local scrapbooking store. I just love the shabby-chic look of the sanded paper (coredinations). This stamp was my very first Tilda stamp. It was the beginning of a new addiction! Anyway, after I made it I realized it would be perfect for the Clean and Simple challenge over at Magnolia-licious Highlites.

Magnolia-licious Highlites Easel Card Challange

I loved making this card for the Magnolia-licious Highlites Challenge! I didn't have much time to play but this whipped together pretty quickly, and I love the red/black/white with the cooking theme. Of course, Tilda is just so darn cute, no matter what color you dress her in! I may have to go back and add a sentiment in the bottom right corner though....seems like it could use a little somethin'. I just always like to wait to add the sentiment until I know who I am sending the card to and for what.


I have to apologize for the lighting and background on this photo. I'm getting ready to go on a trip so I had to take photos after dark. The lack of natural light and no time to set up the photo tent really doesn't do anything for the colors of the card!. =(

First Tag Card

A few weeks ago I was in my morning routine of looking at the twenty-something blogs I follow when I came across this tag card by Carole. I thought these were pretty clever and so decided to take a shot at one. Of course, I probably spent two days just thinking about what kind of card to make and then another day or two collecting papers and such. The hardest part was deciding which of my absolutely darling Magnolia stamps to use! Work always seems to get in the way of the cardmaking too, so it has taken me five days to complete this card. It is a good thing I don't depend on this for an income!

The flowers on the front were made using nestabilities and the leaves were made with a Stampin' Up heart punches. The papers are DCWV (except the peach cardstock), the buttons are from Basic Grey, and the ribbon is from my stash. I used a magnetic closure (also by Basic Grey) to keep the card closed instead of a button, flower, etc.

One of the things I loved about the tag card was that it seemed so flexible for decorating the inside of the card. There was plenty of room for both a sentiment and also to have a white space to write in when it came time to send the card.

Once in a great while I am really pleased with how one of my cards turned out and it is then that I always have a hard time sending it off. Fortunately, my family knows how much time and love I put into each creation and they are always sure to display it for quite a while, and often save it in a box of keepsakes. That is the only reason I can bear to send these off!

I hope you will come back again tomorrow when I tell you how I have managed working around not being able to get my hands on one of those adorable mini-Tilda images that I saw on Claudia's blog!

Friend Tilda

Can you tell I am on a Tilda streak here! Such darling stamps......I think I need them all. Unfortunately the pocket book doesn't think so. =) They should be in over at 7 Kids College Fund any day now. Meanwhile I patiently wait. I love the colors of the DP on the top layer of the card. Both DP are Two Scoops by BasicGrey. The "friend" stamp is by Hero Arts (part of a 4 pack). Plain cardstock is by Stampin Up but I'm not sure what colors.

The DP on the inside of the card is also Two Scoops by Basic Grey. The sentiment is by Whipper Snapper Designs (unfortunately not an angel company). However, since I really don't sell any cards for me it doesn't matter.

I gotta tell ya that the colors of this card remind me so much of my sister's living room before she redid it. She used to have a teal colored leather couch that was so comfy....you could just sink down into it and sleep there for hours, although I never did. I suspect she did though!

Shout Out to my Spruce Creek Friends

Every week on Saturday morning I wake up thinking about a wonderful group of people I have been fortunate enough to get to meet and become friends with. You see, every Saturday morning, this group gets together and flies out to breakfast. And I don't mean flies as in a "big old jet airliner" like the Steve Miller Band sang about years ago, I mean flies out Blue Angels style as in the picture below. These folks are some of the neatest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. They are kind and generous beyond belief! Your plane is being worked on.....no problem, ride with me (typical for these pilots). So this Saturday morning I thought I would feature these amazing pilots on my blog. This picture was taken on one of those typical Saturday morning fly outs for breakfast. This is the Whiskey flight and on this particular morning my son, Chris, was invited to fly out to breakfast with this group! He is in the Harmon Rocket, the plane furthest to the right in the photo. What an amazing experience for anyone, let alone a 14 year old boy! .

You see, my son Chris has loved airplanes since he was old enough to get in one at the age of 9 months when he flew to Germany with us to visit my parents who were living there at the time. Since then. he has talked constantly about becoming a pilot. He has been so fortunate to get to fly with his Opa (my dad) and several other pilots (Medford, Jerry, Frank, Keith, and Tony). Each one took their time not only to take Chris in their plane but also took the time to explain their particular airplane to him. And, to top it off, our friend Medford has spent several hours in the simulator with Chris (and John and me) teaching him about flying. We are so very blessed to call these people friends! Below is a picture of Medford (center) giving my brother-in-law, Mike, a lesson on the simulator while my son looks on.

And, my son is not the only one who has been fortunate enough to experience flights and lessons with these wonderful folks! My husband and I have also ridden along with several of these folks as well (Keith, Tony, Dad, Jerry, Steve). In fact, it was Keith who is really responsible for getting me into this whole aviation thing. I flew with Keith in a Great Lakes in June of 2006 and that is when I made up my mind I had to do this too! That was one amazing ride! I had another really wonderful experience when I had my first formation flight lesson over Christmas break this year. Larry was so patient with me as I took my first lesson. He was an excellent teacher and I so appreciated his patience with me! Below is a picture of Larry and me in my plane during my first formation flight lesson taken from the lead plane (my dad). I was flying just off my father's wing.......what a dream! Too bad you can't see his plane in the photo.

So for all you Spruce Creek folks out there, please know that at least one family (and many more I'm sure) think you are amazing people and appreciate all you do for us and for our family!!!

Cute Bunny Tilda

Back with some more of that yummy Making Memories Flower Patch paper! The flowers were sold in a little tin by Making Memories as well. This little Tilda reminds me a little bit of the pajamas my mom used to buy me as a kid. Even as a teenager I had some of the jammies with the feet in them that zipped up the front. They were so warm and comfy.....I could have lounged in them all day. My jammies didn't have the cute little tummy or ears though. If you are like me and have fallen head over heels in love with the Tilda stamps then you should keep your eye on the 7 Kids College Fund web site. Tab has ordered a bunch of them and they should be in very soon!

Below is the inside of the card. I have used the labesl 1 nestabilites and sponged the outside with SU ink....couldn't tell you what color since it has been a few days since I made the card. The paper on the inside is also Making Memories Flower Patch. It is hard to see but I did outline the DP with some stickles to add a little glitter (gotta have some bling you know).

If you look closely at the front of the card again, you can actually tell that I airbrushed the background. I invested in a small compressor last week after going through 2 cans of air just playing around. The Copic ABS system is soooooo stinkin' cool! If you own Copics and don't have this toy it needs to be high up on the wish list!

Tilda on Bible

I absolutely love this little girl Tilda. All of the Tilda stamps I have seem to catch her in deep thought. I knew after seeing one of Claudia's cards over at Pretty Pressings that I would have to have some of the Making Memories Flower Patch Paper. I did learn a valuable lesson in making this purchase....cutting the 12" x 12" paper into four smaller squares is not the same as getting the 6" x 6" pad. I didn't realize until later that the paper companies actually shrink the designs on the paper for the smaller squares so that you can see more of the pattern. Lesson learned!



I am not particularly pleased with what seems to be a fluorescent orange flower on the bottom right of the card. It is not that bright in real life and actually does match the flower by the bible (and neither is bright orange IRL). The image was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with Copic markers both of which are available at 7 Kids College Fund.

Below is the inside of the card. Now that I have started decorating the insides of cards it is hard for me to let one go out of the house with a plain inside. It is almost like it isn't quite finished without some DP inside too. I used the labels Nestabilities for the green and white papers on the inside of the card.

I have to apologize.....I always forget to take a picture of the copics I used or make a list of them. My best guess is E000, E00, E11, R20 for the skin tones; R20, R35, R43 for the dress, socks, and flowers; E31, E34, E37 for the hair; Y19 and Y35 for the yellow/gold trim on the Bible; YG03 and YG06 for the leaves; BG10, BG72, BG75, and BG78 for the ribbon; BG10 was airbrushed on the background of the Bible; B000 for the shading on the Bible; C1 for a slight shadow; 0 to blend.

Monday Night Stampers

I have the most awesome Stampin' Up demonstrator! She graciously hosts a very talkative group of ladies in her own home each month and we have soooooo much fun chatting while we stamp. She always has the most creative ideas that could be used with not just SU stuff but all kinds of stamps. I'm so glad I happened on to her a little over a year ago......Here's to you, Linda!

Last Monday night we made the cutest little Easter boxes. These were very, very similar to the Round Top Box posted over at Splitcoast Stampers (it may have been the same template but we are not sure). Easy peasy to put together and oh sooooo cute. All of the stamps, papers, punches, and supplies

Spoonful of Sugar Challenge

I noticed that the challenge this week over at Spoonful of Sugar was to make an Easter Creation. I thought this cute little tin filled with Easter chocolates might just fit the bill! I purchased this tin a few months ago and just never got around to decorating it. I think it turned out rather cute with the ribbon blossom! Happy Easter =)

The stamp is made by Elzybells and the image is colored with Copics (available at 7 Kids College Fund). The paper and ribbon is from my stash, can't remember where it is from.

Miss Emily in the Kitchen

Thought I'd share a photo with you today of my niece Emily. Emily is only nine but what a cook she is! One evening my boys and I went to her house for dinner and she made the best Salisbury Steak recipe ever! Anyway, one day we decided that we should try out a red velvet cake recipe. It was actually pretty good! Since then we have also made red velvet cupcakes which didn't last very long either!

Digital Papers on first photo are from The Shabby Princess.

True Friends

I remember when I was little I had a whole bunch of stuffed animals. I loved to play with them and line them up just so on my bed. Much to my mother's dislike (I think) I continued to buy these stuffed animals well into my teenage years from places I'd visit like Disney, Worlds of Fun, Six Flags, and on vacations. Truth is, I still buy them once in a while still (in my forties now) and if I am careful I can make everyone think it is for my kids. The last three came from Build-a-Bear and they are sooooo snuggly! Anyway, this little girl reminded me of when I was little playing with my best buddies, the ones that always listened and would snuggle with you as long as you wanted.
Recipe:

Stamp: girl with bear by Sarah Kay, just because by Stampin Up

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Coloring: Copics

Charm and flower crystals from stash

Jack's Valentine

I was just looking through my digital files and realized that I never posted this card. This was a Valentine's Day card I made for my nephew, Jack. Fairly simple but I didn't think Jack would appreciate glitter and flowers nearly as much as his sister or mom would! Recipe:
Stamps: Our Craft Lounge
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Coloring: Copics
Paper: Stash

Coloring Paper Flowers

Thought I'd try my hand and coloring some of the Bazzil paper flowers I'd found recently with my copics. Boy is this the way to go!!! No more buying 3 jars of flowers trying to find just the right color to match a card. These match perfectly every time! =) I also tried my hand at sewing the edges of this card. Claudia at Pretty Pressings often does this and her cards are absolutely gorgeous!

Recipe:
Stamps: Tilda by Magnolia, bench by Alota Rubber Stamps, friendship circle by Stampin Up
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Not Quite Navy
Paper: SU cardstock, Basic Grey Two Scoops
Flowers: Bazzil
Punchs: Fourish by Paper Shapers, circles and scalloped circle by Stampin Up
Pearl Brads: stash

More of my Favorite Girl!

I just adore the Tilda stamps from Magnolia. Such a sweet little face, and one that doesn't talk back like the sweet little faces at my house! The cute background paper was a free digital download from The Shabby Princess. It is from the Sweet Sprinkles set. This is the first time I have tried printing papers....it was really easy! Tilda was colored with copics (my new favorite....my poor prismas haven't been touched for a few months now). Flowers were punched using SU cardstock.

Easter Candy Craving

I am in the mood for Easter....all the chocolate, jellybeans, and my favorite.....the Peeps! So, I thought I would get ahead of the game and make a couple of cards for my family. These cards both use the same Happy Hoppers stamp, I just cut out two of the bunnies for the first one and put them on a different background. I also used my distressor for the first time on this card.The second card is kind of different because if you untie the ribbon, it opens more toward the center. It is actually my favorite of the two but the lighting on the picture really stinks so the colors aren't really coming out the way they truly are. Of course, I had to use stickles on both cards.....love the glitter you know!

Penny Black Saturday Challenge

Of all of my stamps, I'd have to say that my Penny Black stamps are some of my favorites. As I was perusing the entries of this week's challenge (Something to Eat), I saw Larissa's card and it really inspired me. Her coloring was beautiful and I wanted to see if I could replicate it with my copics. I was supposed to take a copic coloring class this weekend at The Inkspot but I ended up in bed for the best part of the weekend....fever, runny nose, coughing, sneezing.......the whole works. Thankfully I will get to do the class on 3/14!

Friendship Card

Just a quick post today to show you a friendship card. This card features another of those absolutely darling Tilda images from Magnolia Stamps. I found the striped paper at the bottom of a box when I was cleaning out the my craft room Saturday. I think I have probably had it a really long time....no idea who made it. I really liked how many colors were in the stripes but once I got started I found I didn't have much cardstock that would match other than the blue. I also tried a new technique for making paper flowers that I saw online somewhere....just can't remember where.

Tilda looks so sad like she is tired of being all bundled up in the cold weather.....I know I am!

Images: Tilda from Magnolia Stamps, Friendship quote from Whipper Snapper Designs

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, SU blue

Flowers: Retro flower punch from EKSuccess, large blue flower made from small scalloped circle nestability

Swirl: EKSuccess punch

Corners: Cuttlebug Vintage corners die cuts

Ribbon, brads, and charm: stash

President's Day

How quickly the year is going by....it is already President's Day! I always enjoy sleeping in (no school today) and then lazing around the house in my PJ's for at least half of the day. Maybe I'll even get motivated and make pancakes for breakfast.

Today's card was made for a friend of mine from school. She loves all the newest techno-gadgets, just like me. We also both love pink!

The name of the little girl on this card is "Tilda in Winter Stockings." I have fallen in love with this little Swedish girl. I purchased a couple of images from Magnolia Stamps in Sweden about three weeks ago. It took only two weeks to arrive which surprised me. I don't have any little girls of my own to dress up in ruffles and ribbons but I think it will be okay as long as I have my Tildas.

Stamps: Tilda in Winter Stockings from Magnolia Stamps, inside sentiment from Stampin Up

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Coloring: Copics

Papers: Provocraft Doodlecharms, SU (solid colors), Beckett Expressions Radiance (white)

Flower and Swirl Punches: EK Success

Brads: Stash

Corners: Cuttlebug Vintage Corners

Sheri's Valentine

Now that my sis has actually received this I can post it. This is the valentine I sent to her. It is the last of the Penny Black hedgies for this year. I guess I will have to start using papers that aren't pink now! =) Happy Sunday! Designer Papers: Doodlebug Designs
Stamp: Penny Black
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Flowers: BoBunny
Corners: Cuttlebug Vintage Die Cut
Colored with Copics, Diamond Dust added to hearts

Week 35 Penny Black Challenge

Wow has this been a busy week having to work all five days and an evening of parent/teacher conferences.  I don't know how I would have gotten anything done except for the fact that I can't seem to sleep much past 4:30 am these days....can't figure out why.

Below are my entries into this week's Penny Black Saturday Challenge which is to create a "romance inspired" card.  I actually finished these a day or two ago for Valentine's Day but I think all three fit the challenge.  I love all of the Penny Black "cute" stamps.  They seem to be the ones I always go back to.  

The front of the first card was made using the Penny Black clear stamp set "Every Which Way."  The hedgies were colored with copics and then I added some dazzling diamonds glitter on the hearts.  I thought it went well with the "sugared" brads.  The lower left corner just screamed ribbon blossom to me so I decided to try one with a little less ribbon this time.  I used 30 pieces of organza (no grosgrain) for this one.  The DP is Stampin Up.  I also used a Martha Stewart punch for the lacy heart border and the labels 2 nestabilities from Spellbinders.

The next photo is of the upper inside of the card.  This image was an older image that I purchase singly and is a wood mounted stamp.

And the lower inside, again using nesties and the Martha Stewart punch. The brown DP in the photo above and below are actually the same.....I think I must have changed the lighting between photos somehow.

The second card again uses stamps from the Penny Black clear set "Every Which Way."  This card is a little simpler but I like the bright colors.  The three hearts on the right side are "popped" but it is hard to tell this from the picture.  I used the word window punch. curly label punch, and heart to heart punch from Stampin Up, and circle nesties.  The image was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with copics.  The DP is all Stampin Up.  

The inside top of the card.....

The inside bottom of the card.....

This is the last and simplest of the three cards.  The hedgie is from the same Penny Black clear stamp set.  The hedgie was colored with copics and then I added stickles to the bubbles.  As you can see, I used my favorite Martha Stewart heart border punch again as well as circle and scalloped circle nesties.  I also used the large and small tag punches from Stampin Up.......love my punches!

The inside of the card is also pretty simple using more Stampin Up DP and two stamps from their set called Love You Much.  The stamp in the lower right corner was stamped on very vanilla cardstock and then punched out with the Stampin Up scallop punch.

If any of you bloggers out there can tell me why when I click on some pictures on my blog it brings up a bigger picture and why sometimes when you click all you get is the exact same size image as the original....I'd love to know!

In case it is another week before I post again, have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

The Snow is Almost Gone!

The last of our nine inches of snow is almost gone. It was pretty for about the first 36 hours....then I was stir crazy and ready to be out of the house! Thankfully, we made short work of cleaning the driveway and sidewalks with a snowblower that John's parents gave us. The kids (my two and the rest of the neighborhood I think) had a wonderful time playing in the snow with the sleds and snowboard. They even built a ramp in the back yard....you'd think we were hosting the Winter Olympics back there!

Below is my entry in the Week 34 Penny Black Challenge. The challenge was to create a circle card. I whipped this card up very quickly using my Nestabilities, a Penny Black stamp, and a little ribbon from my stash. The image was colored with Prismacolor pencils and blended with Gamsol. The sentiment was done by hand as well as the doodling around the edges of the card.


Also, for those of you who were wondering just what was inside the box I sent to my mom, it was these cute little cupcake earrings that were handmade by my very talented sister, Sheri. How she makes these cute little beads from sticks of glass is beyond me. She has been making cute little bunnies and carrots as of late....can hardly wait to see them in person! ......love you sis! =)

Back to School I Go

Happy Thursday!  After not having school for two days due to about 9 inches of snow, today we have to go back.  Oh well, it was nice while it lasted!  Today I just want to quickly announce that Bev at All the Things I Love is giving away some blog candy.  Be sure to hop on over to her place to check it out.  The winner will be drawn Sunday, February 1.

I Love Snow Days!

I love snow days, especially when school is called off the night before. Sometimes I think teachers want them more than students do although my two boys love them as much as me. I remember loving to play in the snow as a kid and making snow angels. I really never got into the snowman or snow fort thing. There was never a cup of hot chocolate as good as the one I drank after coming in from playing in the snow.....you know, the cup half full of hot chocolate and half full of marshmallows. I'm sure I'll be upstairs fixing some for the boys shorty!

So, on my day off, I decided to look for a challenge to enter and found this one at A Spoonful of Sugar. The challenge was to make a card for someone you love. I had just finished making the card below for my mom for Valentines Day so I thought it would be perfect for this challenge. So, Mom, if you're reading this, pretend when you get it in the mail that it is the first time you've seen it! Inside the box is a valentine gift that I'll have to reveal later....don't want to spoil the surprise. However, I will give you this hint......if you look carefully you'll see a clue!

Paper: Stampin Up Close to Cocoa, BasicGrey Bittersweet Collection
Ink: Ranger Distress Soot Black, Stampin Up Close to Cocoa, Stampin Up Rose Red
Coloring: Copics
Stamps: House Mouse, Karen Lockhart
Punches: Flourish punch by Paper Shapers, Heart Border punch by Martha Stewart, Curly Label Punch by Stampin Up
Other: Nestabilities, Ribbon Blossom Tutorial by Pam Bassett

First Post/Challenge

Hi and welcome to my brand new blog. Please bear with me as I learn all of the ins and outs of making a blog. I am learning albeit slowly.

Below is my first entry into a challenge. It is my entry for the Week 33 Penny Black Challenge which is for "Frames." I am still learning the art of coloring with Copics having been a "Prisma girl" for several years now. I like them more and more each time I use them.

Snowman Stamp: Penny Black
Paper: Stampin Up Pixie Pink, Becket Expression Radiance Cover
Glitter: Stampin Up Dazzling Diamonds
Pearls: stash
Ink: Ranger Distress Soot Black

Embossing Folder:  Cuttlebug
Coloring: Copics