You Just Never Know!

"You Just Never Know!" is the perfect title for my post today ~ for a couple of reasons.   First of all, believe it or not (not!), my card posted on Monday was selected as one of the TOP 5 Show Stoppers in Stacey's Curtain Call Color Challenge!  Woo Hoo!  That's three in a row!  

please see the original post for more info on this card

I'm not even done bragging on myself yet. ; ) Wait until you see what I found when I was out junkin' with my sister Susie yesterday!    It was a beautiful day yesterday and lots of sales, so we met in town early and before we knew it, we had my VW bug full of loot!  : )   I almost forgot to tell you, our motto is:  "You Just Never Know!"    And what we mean by that is, some sales may look like a "drive by", but we have found some of our most "precious treasures" there. ; )  

Ok, ok,  I know you're all on the edge of your seat waiting to see what I found, so here it is . . .

* L00K at all the LOOT! *

* this pretty framed picture will go perfectly in my sunflower guest bedroom *

* I can't wait to sort through all these buttons! 50 cents worth!
Do you think the pretty pink vase is Fenton Glass?  I think it might be!
and the other little corked jar was just too cute to pass up for 25 cents!

You young 'uns wouldn't remember Little Lulu, but I do!
OMG, this is TOO CUTE!!!  ♥ Love it!

What do you know,  I even found more STAMPS that I didn't already have!
and Cuttlebug embossing folders too!  ♥  Make my day!

Well, I sure hope you've enjoyed my post today as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you.  : )   And, I especially want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your sweet comments on my Curtain Call Top 5 card.   Honestly, I nearly gave up on that card....and it is definitely proof that "You Just Never Know!"

Have a WONDERFUL day, my friends!  : )

Quote for Today ~
Serendipity. Look for something, find something else, and realize that what you've found is more suited to your needs than what you thought you were looking for.

{MTSC90 & CC Act 46 } Never Enough Thyme...

Once again, I've combined two of my favorite blog challenges.  The unique layout is Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge and the "challenging" color combination is from Stacey at the Curtain Call.   I really struggled using these four colors together.   The pink pirouette simply did not want to fit in!  I was determined and stuck with it and this is the end result...

Where, oh where, is the pink pirouette?  ;)

When you look at the lovely poppy arrangement in the inspiration photo of Stacey's Curtain Call Color Challenge, you probably wonder why I had so much trouble with these colors.  That's a darn good question!  Be sure to blog on over and see the incredible creations by Stacey and her design team.  Oh my goodness, they make it look SO EASY!   I think what this group of colors needed was lots of white space.  Next thyme.   ; )

 

Another circle sketch design by Mercy!

Swoon... 

If you have thyme, be sure to hop on over and see what

Mercy's Muses have created this week:

Cindy Haffner ~ Cindy Haffner's Corner
Crystal Birr ~ The Messy Stamper

Jackie Pedro ~ The Scalloped Edge

Pam Varnell ~ The Stamping Addict

Julie Lacey ~ Stamps and Taxes

Jessica Diedrich ~ The Whimsical Butterfly

Mercy Kerin ~ Lord Have Mercy {Queen Muse}
and please join me in welcoming

our September Guest Muse...

Lori Tecler

from Inking Aloud!

You're all encouraged to play along with these challenges and we hope you do!  Just blog on over to Mercy & Stacey's blogs for all the specifics!

Do you recognize this stamp set?  It's an oldie from Stampin' Up!, appropriately called Sweet Herbs.  I stamped it on naturals white cardstock with Memento black ink and colored the image with Copics.  As you can tell, I did plenty of distressing with a few different background stamps and my favorite Versafine vintage sepia ink.  I sponged ink on all the edges, but should have used my nifty little edge distresser tool to rough up the edges too.   The stitching and the brads were a last minute addition and seemed to finish it off.

the inside...with a strip of Peach Parfait,
distressed with the Canvas background stamp.

It was so nice to have the long weekend, but it's back to work in the morning . . . like it or not. : /  Time flies by when you're having fun and that it was.   : )

Have a wonderful week, my friends! 

Quote for Today ~
Why try to explain miracles to your kids when you can just have them plant a garden. ~Robert Brault

Show Stopper!

Toot Toot!  I ♥ the Curtain Call Color Challenges and can't resist tooting my own horn at being selected once again as one of Stacey's TOP 5!!!  Love it...and feel quite honored too.  No kidding, have you seen the entries?  All the creations are just incredible!  If you haven't already, be sure to hop on over and check them out!  You'll be amazed. . . and inspired!  ♥

In case you missed them, here are my two cards that made the Top 5 recently:

Top 5 ~ Act 45

Top 5 ~ Act 43

Now, my goal is to make Stacey's LEAD in the Curtain Call . . . and maybe someday. . . a member of her Design Team!   You know, it's good to set goals . . . and to dream! ♥

Color me on Cloud 9 . . . with a BIG SMILE!  : )

Quote for Today ~
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.
~Les Brown

{SSSC83 & CC Act 45} In With the Old!

 

Check out this awesome layout for today's SWEET SUNDAY SKETCH CHALLENGE #83!  Circles are so much fun to work with, especially if you have a way to cut them out!   Lucky for me, my sweet DIL Jami let me borrow her Cricut a couple months ago for a scrapbook project and she hasn't wanted it back yet. 

 

My card is a 5-1/4" square using Crumb Cake (formerly Kraft) cardstock as the base.  I used one of my "new" estate sale stamps for the background.  It's an old Stampin' Up! background stamp from 1997, but I can't tell you the name of it because I have no idea.  I do know that I ♥love the look it gives inked up with Crumb Cake onto Crumb Cake . . . and I'll bet one of my smart readers will clue me in to the name too!  ; )

  

Sketch design by Nancy McKinney

The designer paper and flowers are from an old Deja Views 8 x 8 Paper Punch Out Tablet ~ Fresh Print Apple.  I've had this forever and thought of it today when I saw the Curtain Call Color Challenge colors.  Along with the flowers, I added some buttons from my stash and tied them onto the flower with linen thread.  The lovely verse is from a VERVE set ~ Beautiful You.

Love these colors!

the inside finished to match the outside!

If you want to play along with either one of these challenges, just click on over to Karen and Stacey's blogs for all the details.    I'm so glad you stopped by and hope you've enjoyed your visit today as much as I enjoyed creating this card to share with you!  ♥

Happy Stamping & Smiles 2 U!
  Pam  : )

{SSSC82 & CC Act 44} A Friend Brightens Everyday!

Happy Sunday & Smiles 2 U, My Friends!

Today, I've combined two of my favorite challenges ~ the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge hosted by Karen Giron at The Sweetest Thing...and the Curtain Call Color Challenge hosted by Stacey's Stamping Stage.

This is one of those cards that I almost gave up on.  Maybe I should have.  ;)  It's certainly not one of my favorites, but I decided to go ahead and show it to you anyway.  The sketch is great and the color combo is so bright and happy, but I'm not so sure it all came together for me.   What do you think?  Too much yellow?  Does it need some white space to tone it down?  Hmmm...

Another terrific sketch!

Did you notice the cute little ladybug with bling on her back? : )

For as simple as this card is, it sure took me a loooong time!  Sheesh!  : /

 the inside has a little bling too...a butterfly! 

Thanks so much for blogging by!  Please feel free to critique this one.  It needs it.

Smiles,

Pam : )

Quote for Today ~

With a butterfly kiss and a ladybug hug, sleep tight little one like a bug in a rug.

~Author Unknown

{MTSC87 & Curtain Call Act 43} For a Good Friend...

Never in a million years would I have thought to put these three colors together!  In fact, I almost turned and ran when I saw this week's Curtain Call Color Challenge, hosted by Stacey's Stampin Stage. 

But, you know what?  I think Stacey may have known what she was doing!   ; )

It helped me immensely when I found a designer paper in my stash that pulled the colors together.  It's an oldie by Basic Grey ...Marrakesh and I think this may be one of the few times I've used it.  (hmm, I wonder why?)  

This spectacular layout is from none other than Mercy Kerin of Lord Have Mercy fame and today is Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge!  

and a peek at the inside...left blank for a handwritten message.

If you've got some extra time this week, be sure to blog on over and see what

Mercy's Muses have created to inspire you!

Cindy Haffner ~ Cindy Haffner's Corner
Crystal Birr ~ The Messy Stamper

Jackie Pedro ~ The Scalloped Edge

Pam Varnell ~ The Stamping Addict

Julie Lacey ~ Stamps and Taxes!

Jessica Diedrich ~ The Whimsical Butterfly

Mercy Kerin ~ Lord Have Mercy {Queen Muse}

and last, but not least,

our extra special August Guest Muse...

Angela Thomas

from Sparkle and Bling!

You're ALL invited to play along with these challenges and we really hope you will! 

Happy stamping!  Smiles, Pam  :)

Quote for Today ~
You can go through life and make new friends every year - every month practically - but there is never any substitute for those friendships of childhood that survive into adult years. Those are the ones in which we are bound to one another with hoops of steel.
- Alexander McCall Smith

{MTSC85 & Curtain Call Act 41} WOOF!

Once again, I'm combining Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge and Stacey's Curtain Call Color Challenge.   Gotta love it when a plan comes together!  :)

I *love* BLUE... (ok, maybe not quite as much as green, but it's a close second!)...so this color combination really caught my eye!  I will admit that my card doesn't do it justice and the stamp I used was an odd choice.  But, you see, I really wanted to make this dog card for a special friend of mine who has a new puppy. 

You'll notice that I've flipped the sketch and used a rectangle instead of an oval for the image.  Such a rebel!  ;)  This card is 3-1/4" x 6-1/2" with Night of Navy cardstock as the base. 

 

The inside sentiment makes me *smile* . . . : )

Be sure to hop on over and see what

Mercy's Muses are up to this week!

Cindy Haffner ~ Cindy Haffner's Corner
Crystal Birr ~ The Messy Stamper

Jackie Pedro ~ The Scalloped Edge

Pam Varnell ~ The Stamping Addict

Julie Lacey ~ Stamps and Taxes!

Jessica Diedrich ~ The Whimsical Butterfly

Mercy Kerin ~ Lord Have Mercy {Queen Muse}

and last, but not least,

please welcome our

very special August Guest Muse...

Angela Thomas

from Sparkle and Bling!

 You're ALL invited to play along and we really hope you will!  For all the details, hop on over to Mercy and Stacey's blogs.

I hope your week is off to a GREAT start!  Whatever you do, make the most of it!

Smiles,

Quote for Today ~
One reason a dog can be such a comfort when you're feeling blue is that he doesn't try to find out why. ~Author Unknown

{MTSC83 & CC39} Enjoy the Journey!

One glance at Stacey Schafer's Curtain Call Color Challenge this week and I was IN!  After all, according to my dear Shackie friends, I am the "Queen of GREEN"!   I didn't realize how much green I used in my cardmaking until someone commented on it one day.  And then I looked at my ribbon stash and it was obvious that I had far more green than any other color.   Look at this delightful room that Stacey chose as the inspiration photo for this week's color challenge.   I could make myself right at home there! 

This is a 4-1/4" square card with kraft (crumb cake) cardstock as the base.  The fun layout is for Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge ~ the inspiration of Mercy Kerin of Lord Have Mercy.  Isn't it great?!  I love the unique open circle as the backdrop to the image.   I can't wait to see how everyone else interpreted this~! 

The cute little turtle image is from It's the Thought ~ a Hostess set in the Summer Mini Catalog. (see link on sidebar)  There are 7 stamps in this set ~ all just as sweet as this one! 

It looks like Mercy's Muses are all at it again!

Check them out by clicking here:

Cindy Haffner ~ Cindy Haffner's Corner
Crystal Birr ~ The Messy Stamper

Jackie Pedro ~ The Scalloped Edge

Pam Varnell ~ The Stamping Addict

Julie Lacey ~ Stamps and Taxes!

Jessica Diedrich ~ The Whimsical Butterfly

Mercy Kerin ~ Lord Have Mercy {Queen Muse}
and last, but not least,
our special July Guest Muse...
Peggy McCurry
from Artfull Journey

I hope you can find time this week to play along in either one or both of these challenges.  Just head on over to Stacey & Mercy's blogs for all the details and we'll see you there! 

Happy Stamping & Smiles 2 U!

Quote for Today ~   (wouldn't this be a perfect sentiment for the inside of my card?)
A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip!  ~Author Unknown