"A True Friend"

Before Amanda locks me back up in my padded room, I wanted to admit that I went a little 'bling' crazy here. I used the MOJO Monday sketch. The yellow paper was a scrap piece and really does have pink flowers but for some reason they look rust in the picture, as does my pink butterfly. I added a pink strip of paper that I punched one side with a MS punch and then embossed with a Cuttlebug folder.  I added paper lace with a MS punch to the pink strip and also to the yellow paper circle. I added to different lace strips and a ribbon. Two fern leaves, a heart charm, roses, a punched butterfly, and rhinestones finished off my card. The image is from LOTV, colored with Copics and a bit of stickles...I guess I didn't have enough shine. I also added Stickles to the stitching on my circle and glitter to the butterfly. I also sprayed the butterfly with glimmer mist. (Thanks Amanda!) OK, I am ready for the padded room now!

I am entering this card at the following challenges:

http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/

http://sentimentalsundays.blogspot.com/

How To Add Paper Lace To Your Oval and Circles!

Lifestyle dies

Supplies I used! MS punch!

Any Oval or Circle die will work!

Clip between each paper lace piece!

Adhesive I used, again any will work!

Backside after adhesive!

Begin applying paper lace.

What front will look like.

Depending on the size you may need 2 strips of lace.

Done!

Where I joined two pieces!

Sorry this post is so long! I had so many request as to how or what die I used in yesterday's card. See "Sending Hugs" posted below. I thought I would do pictorial instruction for you. This is an easy way to add paper lace to ovals and circles. I do clip any stray corners that may show (see last picture). The last picture shows where I joined the two strips of lace. As you can see it is not really noticeable when you are done. I hope this helps each of you and that you will have fun playing with this technique! There are many ways you can play with this. For instance try adding a colored mat and then lace. The Lifestyle dies have 13 dies in the set and have a smaller graduation in size than Nestablities. But, any die cut will work! I would love to hear how you like this. Hugs and blessings!

The Sweetest Thing

I am fast approaching my one year anniversary as a blogger. I worked for weeks trying to set up my blog and often thought about throwing in the towel and just forgetting the whole thing. But, I had two very sweet ladies that came to my rescue. The other Patti Sue at http://stampersize.blogspot.com/ and Elaine at http://atechnophobesblog.blogspot.com/ . Here were two (not strangers) but friends I had not met yet, encouraging  me and helping me get my blog going. Patti Sue was so sweet, she even called me on the phone and walked me through some things. Then I became a 'stalker' I would follow blogs but never leave a comment....I didn't know what to say and I certainly didn't want to annoy anyone by leaving a comment. Patti and Elaine were so sweet to keep leaving me comments and encouraging me. Then in my blog hopping I stumbled across Amanda at http://cardscatsandcopics.blogspot.com/ and she  makes me laugh almost daily. I could continue on and on with Janie, Glenda, Linda, Pam, Shirley, Donalda, etc,etc. I can't tell you how blessed I feel finding friends not only in Idaho but all over  the world. So, I was really honored when Shirley at http://nannieflash.blogspot.com/ left little old me an award. So a big thank you to her and to each of you for blessing my life.
Now the three sweetest things in my life.
1. My husband, he may not always understand my need to craft, but he always has supported it. He is my best friend and  mate. We will celebrate our 39th wedding anniversary this year. I would not trade that time together for anything.
2. My kids, Traci my daughter and Jeff my son and TaCole my daughter-in-law. I am so proud of each of them and they have brought countless blessings.
3. Last but certainly not least are Luke and Logan my wonderful grand kids. The love and joy they bring to my life is one of the most precious gifts I have.
Thank you to each of you for  taking time to share a part of my love for crafting and pieces of my life!
Now to try and pick three people to give this award to. THIS IS SO HARD!
1. Amanda at http://cardscatsandcopics.blogspot.com/  
2. Janie at http://janiescreativecorner.blogspot.com/
3. Linda at http://lindascraftycreations.blogspot.com/
Stop by their blog and they will knock your socks off with their fantastic work!

"Cheers to You!"

Somedays you just feel like dancing....especially when you get good news about someone you love. A good friend of mine had a lumpectomy this morning (bad news) but , the cancer had not spread to her lymph glands! YEA! Good news! I thought this LOTV would make a cute card to send her. I colored my image with Copics. I used Spica pen and Stickles to add glitter and bling. My sentiment is a new stamp set from Whimsy Stamps. I used two MS punchs to add lace and  rhinestones for more shine. My beautiful flower is from my dear friend 'Glenda' ....isn't it pretty.

Just a fun little card to let a friend know I care!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I haven't played in the "Totally Tilda" challenge for a good spell. So when I saw the challenge was "How does your garden grow?" I thought I  would play. I have had this image stamped for quite a while just thinking about where I wanted to use it. I think the fence is rather casual for this Tilda. But, for this challenge it reminded me of "Mistress Mary". LOL! I have been playing with my new Die-namics rolled roses dies. So, it was fun to make my own roses. They are so  fun to make. I added lace scallops with a MS punch, and a lace boarder witha Die-namics die, I added a swirl, MS punched butterflies, some  pink plastic leaves, Doo-hickey leaves and some rhinestones finish off my card. This card is very 'girly and a bit busy, but fun to play with all the elements.

I am entering this card at the following challenges:

http://totallytilda.blogspot.com/

http://365cards.blogspot.com/

http://craftycreationschallenges.blogspot.com/

Hope and Peace

It is Mojo Monday again! I always look forward to their sketches! But, here I go again with a struggle (could it be my MOJO is off?). LOL! Thank heavens I had this beautiful flower created for me by my dear friend Glenda at http://glendabrooks.blogspot.com/

She gave me some of the most beautiful flowers and this one certainly saved my bacon today! I framed it with Nestabilities and embossed them with a Cuttlebug fold that another dear friend Janie at http://janiescreativecorner.blogspot.com/ Janie does the most beautiful cards! This is beginning to sound like "I get by with a little help from my friends!" My sentiment is from "Taylored Expressions" I am sending this card to a friend who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. I hope it will encourage her.

I am entering this card at the following challenges:

http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/

"Tomorrow"

I have been wanting to play in the Spotted Chick challenge every since my friend Amanda won a cute little 'Chick Award'. You can see Amanda's cute blog at http://cardscatsandcopics.blogspot.com/ she does a fantastic job coloring and is always fun to visit. The challenge this week is to use Kraft paper. I had this cute little image from LOTV colored and so I decided to use her. I added ribbon I have hoarded for about two years. I used my bow easy to make the triple bow and then added a mini button to the center. My sentiment is also from LOTV. I colored my silver heart brads with my Copic pen. I just love how you can change your elements with Copics. A litle bit of stickles finished off my fun little card.

I am entering this card at the following challenges:

http://thespottedchick.blogspot.com/2011/02/thats-krafty-thursday-47.html

Hippie Chic!

No doubt about it I struggled with this card. I just could not make the layout work for me. I think I needed a smaller image, but because this is a new one I was really wanting to used it. I colored my image with Copics. I cut the card base out with my Lifestyle dies. My DP is from DCWV 'The Linen Closet'. I added a little Spica pen and Stickles for a little bling. A pretty little brown/blue scallop ribbon and mulberry roses finish off my card.  I am entering this card at the following challenges:

http://www.sugarbowlblog.blogspot.com/

Favorite Colors!

I have to admit I really don't have a favorite color or color combination. I think that might be a little strange, but it is the truth. I think my favorite combination is what ever I am working with at the time. I really worked on making the LOTV image my focal point on this card. I colored my image with Copics, and added a little Stickles and Spica pen to add some bling. I also added liquid glass to her shoes and bow. I cut the flowers out of felt with my Heartfelt dies, and the leaves from a Magnolia Doo-Hickey. The sentiment is from LOTV.  I am entering this card at the following challenges:

http://liliofthevalleythursdaychallenge.blogspot.com/

All About the "R's"

I am loving the new images from Kenny K! This is one of my favorite (this week). LOL! The challenge this week's is "All About the R's" . My card had red, ric-rack and roses! I colored my cute little image with Copics.  I used my die-namics to cut out my paper lace. The ric-rack came from my stash as did my button. I added fern leaves and mulberry roses to finish off my card. I hope you will join us this week at http://kennykkraftygirlzchallenges.blogspot.com/  There will be some great prizes for the winner.
Sponsors Quixotic Paperie  at http://www.quixoticpaperie.co.uk/- offering a Kenny K Rubber Stamp of the Winner's Choice and Kenny is offering up 5 digi's of the winner's choice! I am entering this card at the following challenges;
http://cinspirations.blogspot.com/
http://totallypapercrafts.blogspot.com/
http://pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com/

"Buttons and Bows"

I don't know why the color look so dark in my picture they really aren't! LOL! Photography will never be my forte! There is a new challenge blog http://thepapershelter.blogspot.com/ and they have some of the cutest images. I just love this one and couldn't wait to color her up for the challenge. I used Copics to color my image and framed her with Nestabilities. I added some paper lace with MS punches and added some ribbons and buttons to finish off my card.

I am entering this card at the following challenges:

http://thepapershelter.blogspot.com/

http://www.sugarcreekhollow.blogspot.com/

"Duper Heros"

My two grandsons love to play "Duper Hero's"! The often have there mom pin a towel around their neck and they fight the 'bad' guys. I love to see their imagination soar and it is so fun to listen to them as they play. So, when I saw this image at Mo's Digital Pencil, I knew I needed it.  Since I send cards to both the boys I had to do two versions. I colored the image with Copics. the first image I framed with Nestabilities and added a ribbon and button. A sentiment from LOTV finished off this card. The second I followed the sketch at Mo's Challenge blog, although I didn't add flowers Just a sentiment from LOTV. These will be fun cards to send to Luke and Logan. I hope they will be "Duper Hero's" all their lives. 

I am entering this card at the following challenges:

http://mosdigitalchallenge.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.cutecardthursday.blogspot.com/

A Birthday Card and a Wee Image

This is my second image from Wee Stamps at http://weestamps.weebly.com/ isn't she cute. I have seen her popping up all over the web! I colored my image with Copics and framed her with a Nestability. All of my paper is scraps. I used MS punches for all of my lace trim. I added flowers, yarn and a ladybug button to the first card and half pearls to the second card. Two different looks for a sweet little image!

I am entering these cards at the following challenges:

http://papercutzchallenge.blogspot.com/

"Love Birds" from Wee Stamps

My good friend Amanda at http://cardscatsandcopics.blogspot.com/ is an enabler! She had this wonderful web site posted on her blog http://weestamps.weebly.com/ so I HAD to take a gander and see what it was all about and the rest is history. Are these not the cutest little birds?  I have a good friend whose wedding anniversary is this week and one of these cards will make its way to her. I made both cards much the same, just different sizes. I colored the images with Copics and added Spica pen to add some sparkle. I used a Magnolia Doo-Hickey for the large leaves and punch for the fern. I framed the image with a Nestability die and added mulberry roses to finish off my cards. I hope you will visit both Amanda's web site and Wee Stamps. You are in for a treat on both blogs!

A Nice Surprise In The Mail!

Before Christmas I received a nice e-mail from Lady Bug Crafts Inc. telling me I had won a nice little prize. Along came Christmas with a trip to Wyoming, then back at home and then this darn bug. I had forgotten about my prize and when I did remember I just thought I had been forgotten in the Christmas rush. Not so! Today I received the nicest package and it had been mailed before Christmas! It also had been opened and resealed (sort of)! What a nice surprise, so thank you Kerry, I will have lots of fun using these great supplies! You can find these stamps at http://ladybugcraftsink.blogspot.com/

There is also a great challenge for you to enter!

"Easel With A Twist"

This card took me forever. LOL! I had to figure out the twisted easel (I am still not sure if it is done correct, but if not it is a new twist!) I also made my own rolled roses. While they are not perfect, they were sure fun to make. A special thanks to my dear friend Wendy who provided me with the most awesome tweezers...they were perfect! I added a little stickles to the center to 'bling' them a bit. I used a Magnolia  Doo-hickey die for the leaves and a Sugar Nellie image, which I colored with Copics. The Lace boarder punches are from MS. The sentiment is from Magnolia and is framed with Die-namics dies. A pretty mixed bag, but it gave me lots of fun playing for the first time in a long time! I hope each of you had a blessed day and are feeling healthy! I flipped this sketch on it's side but it works (I hope) for the following challenges:
http://priscillastyles.blogspot.com/
http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/

"Joy....Spring will Come!"

Don't you just love this image? She looks less than thrilled at being all frilled up!  The layout for my card is from Mojo Monday challenge. I used my new MS punches the diamond lace and the lace heart  punch. The paper lace around my circle is also a MS punch. I added a button to the lace heart punch.  Mulberry roses finish off this bit of spring card.

I am entering this card at the following challenges:

http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/

"I'm Finally Back and A Kenny K Challenge"

Today at long last I finally feel like I am finally getting over this bug. It has been horrid. I thought I was having a relapse yesterday and spent the afternoon sleeping. It must have been what I needed, because today I finally feel better. I decided the perfect thing to do was craft a bit. There is a new challenge this week at KKKG's. The challenge is 'Circles' and the prizes this week are fantastic!

Cult pens at http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Copic.html and of course five digis from Kenny K.

so be sure and enter at http://kennykkraftygirlzchallenges.blogspot.com/ . My card uses the "Club Kid" image, she is one of my new favorites. My DH gave me a gift card that I used for a few new punches. The scallop heart punch and the circle lace punch are two of the new ones. I also have a new Magnolia sentiment that I used for this card. Button sunglasses finished off my card.

I am entering this card at the following challenges:

http://copiccreations.wordpress.com/

A Valentine For Luke And Logan!

I finally drug myself off the couch and landed in my craft room. I wanted to make some cards for my grandsons. I was looking forward to inking up this new stamp from WOJ. The sentiments are from Whimsy Stamps. I am loving these sentiments. I had some trouble downloading them (I think it might have been the virus making me a 'dodderhead') I contacted Whimsy and they were wonderful about helping me. I just love good customer service! I colored my image with Copics and added liquid glass to the hearts. A heart button, a bit of embossing and some trim finished off my cards.

"Kiss Me! I'm Irish!"

I had so much fun with the new images from Kenny K, that I had to do a second card for this week's challenge. (see below post) How do you like the black eye? The inside of the card reads "Kiss Me...I'm Irish". I thought it would be a great card for my sweetheart! LOL! Don't forget to enter this week's challenge at http://kennykkraftygirlzchallenges.blogspot.com/ 

Our sponser this week is:

And the prize offered is a $15 Gift Certificate.

Be sure and join in the fun!

"A Card For Your Sweetheart!"

This week's challenge for Kenny is a picture inspiration.  This is my take on it. I had lots of fun playing with this image. I colored the image with Copics. I added liquid glass to the hearts (in RL they really pop off the card.) I also added a little fun flock to the whip cream on the sunday. A button, twine, hand stamped tag, and half pearls finished off my card. Join us this week at http://kennykkraftygirlzchallenges.blogspot.com/

for a fun challenge and make a card for your sweetheart (s)!

Still A Bit Under the Weather

I still don't have much energy, I think I am tired from coughing and coughing and coughing. But we booked our vacation house on the coast for the family for this summer. I am so looking forward to having all of my kid and grand kids under one roof and on the beach together. I decided to make a card to send to the grand kids and let them know we are going to have a grand time. I colored my cute little h'Aenglar image with Copics. I used my LOTV  sentiments on each card. I wanted the cards to be CAS and look like summer. I hope I have achieved that effect.

I am entering this card at the following challengs:

http://2sisterschallengeblog.blogspot.com/

http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/

http://crazy4challenges.blogspot.com/

Amanda's Steelers!

If anyone has noticed my absence this week, it is because I have been under the weather! Monday began with a horrid virus that racked my body with fever and chills and now bronchitis! Today is the first day I have not spent prone on the couch. I am still not back 100% but I am almost there. I wanted to do these cards for my grandsons and also for Amanda at http://cardscatsandcopics.blogspot.com/

Amanda and her DH are "Steeler" fans and I have promised to cheer the Steelers on in the Superbowl.

I have to cheer for Cory Hall a former player for Boise State University and now a half back for the Packers! Go Cory, you do Idaho proud. The image I used is from Kenny K....isn't he great. I actually did color him with dark grey Copics but for some reason it photographed more blue. The sentiment I used is from Whimsy Digi Stamps and I must say I thought it was perfect for the Steeler quarterback! (Sorry Amanda!) LOL! I hope everyone has a safe and happy Superbowl!