Hugs and Kisses

I've had this image on my desk for quite some time so I finally got a card made with it.

The image is from Pattie's Creations called Postage Stamp Hugs and Kisses. I colored the image with American Craft markers. I used MFT Inside and Out Stitched Rounded Squares for the background 

squares. The designer paper I believe is from Lawn Fawn and backed with black card stock. I embossed a frame around the edges of the base card (hard to see in the picture). I used a piece of washi tape on the left of the card and a flower for embellishment. A couple of sequins finishes off the card. I am entering these challenges:

• Pattie's Creations challenge: Love is in the Air
• Atlantic Hearts Sketch challenge: sketch 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Craftaholics R Us challenge: sequins
• The Outlawz Monday challenge: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by today. The week is on the down swing. Hoe it's been good for you.

Hugs,

Donna

Another Twofer Day

Happy Tuesday! I thought today would be really busy but my lunch date got cancelled so it didn't turn out as busy I thought. So I was able to finish one of the cards that I have to post today.

The image is from Stampabilities. I found it on sale at Hobby Lobby this week. I am always on the look out for nativity stamps and dies as I make my FIL's Christmas cards each year and he prefers religious cards. So I am think that maybe a card like this might be what I make for him this year. The die cuts I used were MFT Pierced Fishtail Flags , MFT Star Stack, and MFT Blueprints 3. I used embossed resist for the sentiment. If I do this card again I think I will make the sentiment black rather than white. The designer paper is from my scrap box. I added Crystal and Gold Stickles to the stars in the image. The background of the image was water colored and then I stamped the image on top of the water color and die cut with the die. I am entering these challenges:

• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: make your own background
• Hiding in my Craft Room: any holiday
• Rudolph Days: anything goes Christmas
• The Outlawz Friday challenge: Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: anything goes; option use some gold
• Crafty Hazelnut Patterned Paper challenge: use patterned paper

My second card tonight was a hurry up birthday card that I needed. Very quick and easy!

This image and sentiment is from the Old Well Digital Stamp Set from Beccy's Place. I used the pre-colored image and just printed the image and sentiment and then glued the front to some wood-patterned paper for the card. Very easy! I am entering these challenges:

• Beccy's Place challenge: use a Beccy's Place image
• Dig Choosday challenge: anything goes
• Simon Says Monday challenge: in my garden

That's it for me tonight. Normally I would volunteer at Head Start tomorrow but both of the kids have a viral infection and they've been told by the doctor that they can't return to Head Start for 7 to 10 days. So the poor little ones are going to be sick for a while.  So I do have to go to the grocery for my daughter tomorrow but I might get some more crafty time that I wasn't expecting. So maybe I will be able to show something else tomorrow. Take care. 

Donna

Outlawz CAS Challenge

Merry Sunday to you all! We are really water soaked around here. Most of last week it rained and it really rained a lot yesterday. It stopped just long enough for hubby and I to take the twins out for a walk. So that was good.
Today is my last day as a guest designer at The Outlawz CAS challenge. Our challenge this week is to make a birthday card: a masculine birthday card.

I inked the card base background with Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed and Fossilized Amber distress inks. The die cut, from kraft card stock, is Simon Says Birch Column die. The sentiment is from Hero Arts It's Your Day stamp set and die cut with MFT Pierced Fishtail Flags and inked with the same distress inks Pretty simple. I hope you can join us at The Outlawz CAS challenge this week and add to your stash of masculine birthday cards. I know I never have enough of them. I am entering these challenges:

• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: make your own background
• Seize the Birthday: anything goes
• Happy Little Stampers: anything goes with dies

That's it for today. I will leave you with a picture we took yesterday of the twins. Arthur has been climbing the stairs for some time but Valerie just learned to do it last weekend. 

And as usual, Arthur is leading the way with his never ending smile. Have an awesome start to your week!

Donna

Scribbles Designs Guest

Today is my second guest appearance at Scribbles Designs blog for February. A while ago Sandy asked for ideas to draw and I suggested that she draw a critter that had both a front and a back so that you could see both sides of it in a card. So she drew a picture of one of her characters named Brrr (a penguin). So that's what I am using for my card today.

This is Brrr with his clock in the window of my card. I used a sentiment from a retired Gina K Timeless Treasures stamp set inked with Salty Ocean distress ink. The plaid paper is a scrap from my recently updated scrap box reorganization. Now I can find the paper I need. And I decorated the inside to match.

Dies used in the card: Quickcutz tags, MFT Inside and Out Stitched Rounded Squares, Marianne Designs Fence and Bird, MFT Fresh Cut Grass.  Brrr (both front and back) was colored with Koh-I-Noor Woodless Pencils and mineral spirits. 

Check out all of Sandy's fun digital stamps over at the Scribbles Designs web site. The current challenge is go for the green. You don;t have to use a Scribbles Design image but Sandy Always gives a free image each month that could be used for the challenge and there are tons of freebies on her web site. Check them out!

I am entering these challenges:

• QKR Stampede: anything goes
• The Outlawz Twisted Thursday challenge: anything goes
• Craftaholics R Us: anything goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Digi Choosday challenge: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by today. I am watching the twins all day today. Tomorrow I will have my last guest design post for The Outlawz CAS challenge, so come back for that fun card! make it an awesome weekend!

Donna

Inky Day

I love Tuesdays. It's usually the only day of the week that I don't have a scheduled place to be. So it's my day to catch up on laundry, dishes and household jobs and hopefully get a bit inky. This morning I started the laundry and decided to defer dishes until after lunch and I got some ink time in. Here's what I created.

image was created by Andrea Norris of Sheepski Designs for an Outlawz special challenge celebrating their 7th birthday. I colored the image with Koh-I-Noor Woodless pencils and mineral spirits. Die cuts used: Spellbinders Teardrop Circles, Gina Marie Designs Cross Stitch Rectangles, and MFT Blueprints 32 for the hearts. The hearts are stacked three high with glue for a slight dimension. The designer paper is from my scrap box The sentiment I got from a blog candy with no indication of the company but it might be Unity Stamps. I embossed the sentiment with clear embossing powder to make it shine. I am entering these challenges:

• The Outlawz Special 7th Birthday challenge: use the sunflower image
• Atlantic Hearts Sketch challenge: sketch 
  
• Cards in Envy: give it some heart
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: anything goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

Our weather is up close to 70 degrees yesterday and today and I've been taking full advantage by getting some walking in. But tomorrow we are back into the 40s again. Lots of rain this week but so far most of it has missed us. Hoping that things warm up soon and stay there. Thanks for stopping by today. Hope your day is warm and happy too.

Donna

Guest at The Outlawz

Happy Sunday! Today I am guest designing over at The Outlawz CAS Challenge. I used to be a design team member so it's always a thrill to go back "home" to see my old friends. This week the challenge is all about Random Acts of Kindness: Yesterday was Random Acts of Kindness Day. Create a card to send out to someone for no reason other than to be kind. Don't forget to send your card. 

This is a one layer card. I don't do many of these. I used colored pencils to color the Altenew image from the Beautiful Lady stamp set. The sentiment is from Hero Arts Everyday Sayings stamp set. Pretty easy peasy. I hope you will create a random act of kindness card and send it to someone special this week. Come join us over at The Outlawz CAS challenge.

I am entering these challenges:

• Addicted to Stamps and More: CAS 
  
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: anything goes
• Inspiration Destination: anything goes with real stamping
• A Bit More Time to Craft Extra: anything goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by today. It snowed a little today so my FIL cancelled his trip out for the weekend. He may come next weekend if the weather permits. The twins were wonderful today. Full of smiles and fun times. Not sure if we are going to the RV show today or not. If we don't I just may get a craft day! [grin!] Have a super Sunday.

Donna

Furever Friends

Yesterday, I got a few new stamp sets in the mail from My Favorite Things so I had to get inky with them. This is a new stamp set called Furever Friends.

I colored the image with Spectrum Noir markers and die cut the image with the Furever Friends Die-namics. I also die cut the MFT Pet Perch from gray card stock. The sentiment is from the same stamp set. The inked background is stenciled from the Stencil Star Grid using several colors of distress inks. For embellishment I used some sequins from Neat and Tangled. I am entering these challenges:

• My Favorite Things Sketch challenge: use the sketch 
  
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: add a die cut
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies: use a critter
• The Outlawz Twisted Thursday challenge: fur
• Inspiration Destination: stamping

The weekend is here and as usual the weekends are busier than my weekdays. My FIL is coming for a visit this weekend. He will be with us until Tuesday next week. We have the twins tomorrow and then taking them out to dinner. Sunday we are driving to Indianapolis to see the boat and RV show. So I think it will be a busy weekend! Hope you have a wonderful weekend and find time for whatever you love to do. Take care!

Donna

Wild Roses

Welcome! I have a card tonight that is for another progressive challenge; this one for The Outlawz. This month the stamp is from Beccy's Place called Wild Rose. A beautiful stamp!

I colored the image with Koh-i-noor pencils and mineral spirits. The background is embossed with Cuttlebug Leafy Branch. The sentiment is from Hero Arts Everyday Sayings. The designer paper is from my scrap box. I used black card stock to back some of the layers. The pearls are from Zva Gems. Dies used: MFT Stitched panel from Blueprints 32 and MFT Inside and Out Stitched Rounded Squares.
I am entering these challenges:

• The Outlawz Progressive challenge: use Beccy's Place Wild Rose
• Beccy's Place challenge: use a Beccy's Place image and use the sketch 
  
• 4 Crafty Chicks: lots of layers
• A Bit More Time to Craft: anything goes
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: add a die cut
• Penny's Paper challenge: anything goes

Hope you have a wonderful Friday! Thanks for stopping by.

Donna

Dueling Darling Time

The 15th of the month has rolled around again and it's time to see what the Dueling Darlings have been up to this month. Our hostess this month is Jeanette and Kelly and these were our instructions:
Our theme is Something I love and Jeanette had three things that she loves in the kit:

1. She loves images with umbrellas included in the design
2. She loves Whipper Snapper stamps
3. She loves using found/recycled item on her cards (in the kit was a wax paper bag that would give us bonus points if we used it on our card.

So here is the card that I came up with.

Our kits included a Whipper Snapper Rainy Day Renee image; 2 different sentiments, one from LaLa Land and one from Whipper Snapper (I used the Whipper Snapper sentiment on my card); DDoodlebug Designs paper; some die cuts that I didn't include; and some embellishments (I used the brad). She also included the Reynolds Cut-Rite Wax paper sandwich bag. I did use the wax paper bag to cut the two cloud shapes that I included at the top of my card. The base of the card is the same green as Renee's raincoat. And I love using black behind pastel colors because it makes them pop so much. Lots of black card stock on this one.Great kit, Jeanette and lots of fun to put together!

There was one last requirement: share something  I love in my write-up. So while it didn't specify what I love in crafts, that's where I am going to start. I love My Favorite Things stamps and dies, especially critter stamps. I LOVE plaid paper (watch out Darlings, my kit comes next month). And I love to use sentiments on cards. I love to collect sentiments. I just need a good way to organize them so I can find the one I need easily. And this one is not crafty love but grandma love. Here is a pic of something I love a lot.

                                              Valerie                                   Arthur

This is the twins last Sunday getting their first taste of sugarless chocolate pudding. Can you tell they really aren't very good with the spoons yet? But they had a ball!

Thanks Jeanette for the wonderful kit. Hop along to see what the other darlings have created. You can find the links on the right side of my blog. Have a wonderful day!

Donna

Spring Bunnies

Happy Tuesday! I had a bunch of errands to run this morning but I got a chance to play this afternoon. I'm trying to get some of my progressive challenges done this week because the month is short and it will be over before you know it. So this is the progressive challenge image from Gerda Steiner.

The Image this month is Spring Bunny Friends. It's soooo adorable! I went with lots of bright spring colors and really like the outcome. Here's what I used:

• Designer paper is Tickle the Tulips Paper 6 from Create with TLC
• Coloring was done with Spectrum Noir markers 
• Die cuts used: Gina Marie Designs Cross Stitched Rectangles; MFT Fresh Cut Grass; Spellbinder's Sunny Days (cloud)
• Washi Tape is the diagonal purple leaves
• Tulips are stickers from an Easter glitter sticker pack

I am entering these challenges:

Gerda Steiner February Progressive challenge: use spring bunny friends

Sketch Saturday: sketch (I rotated the sketch)

Catch the Bug challenge: walking in a washi wonderland (use washi tape)

Crafty Sentiments Designs: add flowers

Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

The Outlawz Thursday challenge: anything goes

Anything Goes with Create with TLC element: use an element from Create with TLC (tulip paper)

Thanks for stopping by today. Tomorrow I am off to help at Head Start with the twins. I always look forward to my time with them. Take care. Stay warm and dry. We are headed into rainy weather later this week. (Definitely better than snow!) 

Donna

Valentine Teacher Presents

I love making little gifts for people and since I am no longer working I am so glad that the twins go to Head Start. Now I can give the teachers all these little gifts that I love to put together. So I finished the Valentine gifts today.

These are the tags that I made. The tags are die cut from MFT Blueprints 3. All the images and sentiments are from retired stamp sets from Gina K Designs. I think all the images and sentiments go together so well. They are colored with American Craft markers. I used Lawn Fawn twine for the bows. And the tags are covering up the little gifts.

I made these heart shapes that hold Hershey kisses. I found the tutorial at Qbees' Quest. She adds arrows to the hearts but I didn't use them. I was pleased with the way they turned out. I decided to use these as table favors for my sons wedding rehearsal dinner. So I will need to make about 60 more of these. The day after Valentine's Day I have to go searching for half price Hershey Kisses. Lots of them. LOL! I am entering these challenges:

• Hiding in my Craft Room: super scraps Saturday
• Simon Says Wednesday: it must be love
• Addicted to Stamps and More: holiday 
  
• QKR Stampede: anything goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• If You Give a Crafter a Cookie: red and white heart cookies

That's it for me tonight. Hope you had a fabulous weekend and make this week an awesome one. I am hoping to stay healthy for this week. LOL!

Donna

Scribbles Designs Guest

Today I am back with another installment as a guest designer for Scribble Designs. I just love this digi from Sandy. It makes great masculine cards for little kids or big kids. Just too fun!

Card details: Image is Dump Truck Wishes

Colored with Spectrum Noir markers

Paper from my scrap box backed with black card stock

Red card stock base

Die cuts: Gina Marie Cross Stitch Rectangles (image); MFT Essential Fishtail Sentence Strips (sentiment); Hearts from Simon Says Stacked Hearts (hearts glued together for texture)

Sentiment: computer-generated

There are still a few days left to join in the Scribbles Designs 5th Birthday Party Blowout. Check it out! 

I am entering these challenges:

• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: It must be love
• Crafty Friends challenge: love is in the air
• Addicted to Stamps and More: holiday 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Cards in Envy: love you so much
• 613 Avenue Create: anything goes; optional twist of love

I apologize for not being around much this week. I was sick again with some kind of stomach bug. But I am hoping that I am over it now and I'm praying my DH doesn't come down with it. Hope your weekend is awesome. Take care!

Donna

The Cat's Meow

Good evening, friends! I couldn't resist this adorable kittie. Both my boys have cats so one of them will be getting this Valentine.

The kittie is from Bugaboo stamps. I wasn't able to find it on the Bugaboo website so it may be retired. The sentiment came with the set and I added it to the balloon. I also added some dots and lines with whte gel en (balloon) and black pen (cat). I organized all my designer paper today so I could actually find my Valentine paper. These came with a Simon Says stamp kit several years ago, so it's time to start using these up. LOL! I layered each piece with black card stock. Dies I used: Lawn Fawn Stitched Party Banners, MFT Stitched Circles and MFT Pierced Fishtail Flags. I added a few self-adhesive gems to the corners. I am entering these challenges:

• Catch the Bug challenge: anything goes
• Sketch Saturday challenge: sketch 
  
• Simon Says Monday challenge: love is in the air
• Cupcake Inspiration: love
• Monday Outlaw challenge: have a heart
• 613 Avenue Create: anything goes; optional love

Thanks for stopping by. Tomorrow is my day to volunteer at Head Start. We are supposed to get nasty weather this evening. Ice and 1 to 3 inches of snow. We'll see how that goes in the morning. Take care!

Donna

Reindeer Games

A merry Monday evening to you all! The roads were a bit slippery this morning and we have possibly more on the way tonight and 2-4 inches tomorrow night into Wednesday. That groundhog wasn't kidding, was he? But I got a lot of my errands done today so I can stay home tomorrow and organize and craft. I did get one card done this evening.

Why is it that whatever you add to your card last is what you don't like. I wanted to add some doodling but it isn't very straight. Bummer! I used Bugaboo Reindeer Blocks but I only used three of the four blocks. After coloring with Spectrum Noir markers I cut them out separately. I computer-generated the sentiment. The border punch is Martha Stewart. The designer paper is American Craft. I am entering these challenges:

• Catch the Bug Stella Sketch: sketch 
  
• Bugaboo Crafty challenge: use a Bugaboo image
• Sweet Stampin' challenge: anything but birthday
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: anything goes; quick and easy
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: anything goes
• Inspiration Destination: anything goes

Hope your week is off to a great start! I volunteered this morning at Opportunity House. My job today was to clean out the craft area. I had two big boxes of stuff to put at half price. I was glad to get that job done. Tomorrow I'll have to price the stuff that I brought home with me. Take care. Make it an awesome week!

Donna

You Make Me Smile

Happy Saturday! We had the twins all day today. So I am exhausted. But they are so much fun! I have a couple pictures below. I haven't posted any for a while. I had started a card earlier this week and finally got it completed. I've been wanting to use this MFT Mesmerizing Mandala die for a while now.

The Mandala Was cut from a pastel scrap of paper that I had sitting on my desk. I really liked the variation in color. So I mounted it on the black card stock. I used the MFT You Trio die and popped it up using blue fun foam. The sentiment is from the MFT All About You stamp set inked with a pastel variation ink pad and die cut with MFT Essential Fishtail Sentiment Strips. This is also popped up with foam tape. I added a heart from MFT Blueprints 32 in the center and coated it with Dimensional Magic so it shiny. To finish it off I added the pearls is some of the rounded areas of the mandala. I'm going to use this for a Valentine this year. I am entering these challenges:

• MFT Sketch challenge: sketch 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• The Outlawz Monday challenge: anything goes
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Die Cuttin' Divas: anything goes
• QKR Stampede: anything goes

So to close out tonight here are a couple pictures I took of the twins this week when I volunteer at their Head Start class on Wednesday. Valerie is riding a hobby horse and Arthur is bouncing on a big ball. He was having such a great time.

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope your weekend is wonderful. We are supposed to get a little nasty weather tonight. We'll see if it's snow or ice. Take care!

Donna

New Challenge at 12 Months of Christmas Link Up

So, this post should have gone up yesterday but my foggy brain from being sick and trying desperately to catch up this week is a day late. Sigh! I also forgot a birthday this week so they'll be getting their card late too. I was hoping that February would be better than January but so far I'm now sure.
So yesterday was the start of a new challenge over at The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. The theme is always anything goes and we have an optional theme this month of a card for a loved one. You can check out all the details for the challenge over at the 12 Months of Christmas website but the challenge is pretty easy.

Our sponsor this month is Mari's Digis. My image is Feliz Natal 4. I colored the image with Spectrum Noir and Copic markers. The designer paper is from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles. If you enter two or more cards you will receive one of the Christmas Papers designed for this month's challenge. The sentiment is from Bird's Cards. With the little girl in the image the card was made for my granddaughter Valerie. Be sure to let us know who your special loved one is.

I am entering these challenges:

• The Outlawz Friday challenge: Christmas
• A Bit More Time to Craft: anything goes
• Mari's Digis Challenge: use a Mari's Digi
• Addicted to Stamps: make your mark (color) 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

I hope you will join us this month for our easy peasy challenge at the 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. Thanks for stopping by. I hope to get some more creating done soon but I have the twins for most of the weekend so crafting time will be at a minimum! Take care.

Donna