I know him! I know Santa!!

While shopping at our local Trader Joe's my husband said- "you have to come around back". I kinda wanted to just get going, we had a lot to do. But I humored him and went to the back parking lot and there is the most gorgeous white draft horse being hooked to a festive white buggy.

A few moments later after petting this big guys nose and wishing I had an apple or a carrot, my husband whispers "look up". I look up and what to my wondering eyes should appear- Santa Claus!!!

I don't know about you, but there is something magical about being around Santa. You immediately become a kid again. 

I am sure my dear husband is telling Santa all about the Martin Dreadnaught D-45 guitar he wants for Christmas.

But behind every great guy there is an even better woman. Santa is no different. Mrs. Claus who is usually behind the scenes baking cookies to keep the big guy-well big, got to get out to visit today.

Like any good wife, she isn't letting her man out in public until he is perfectly put together.

After getting my time with Santa- whispering that I really don't want a lot this year, just the new Altenew inks, he drove off to see all the good little boys and girls.

My cards today are in honor of the big guy himself!! I am entering them in the following challenges.

Just Us Girls, they are having "an anything goes" challenge.

Time out Challenges is having a "merry and Cheerful" challenge.

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge- "quick and easy cards".

Cardz 4 Galz- is looking for a "cute Christmas"

Winter Wonderland Challenge- "anything goes"

Lastly Inkspirational is having a theme challenge and the theme is "naughty". 

I want to end this Santa driven blog post with a scene from "Elf". This very funny scene is how I feel now."I know him! I know Santa and I know his wife!!"

Be sure to check out what all the designers for these various challenges have posted and be inspired to join in!!

What?!!!???

Happy Easter everyone! Since I am not hosting Easter and I am caught up on school work, I decided to join in the fun at a few challenges with this extremely CAS and graphic card. And what the heck is going on?!!? Not one stamp inked in the making of this card!!!! Holy cow!!! This is way out of my comfort zone. I wanted to add an embellishment or a stamped image, but I resisted (and it was so hard!!). This is a card worthy of the queen of graphic cards- Ardyth at MASKerade. 

I was inspired by these three challenges.

Addicted to Stamps and More. They are having a photo challenge .

 

 My old teamies at Just Us Girls are hosting a CAS challenge.

 Lastly, Shopping Our Stash is asking you not to use any ink.

Check out the challenges and join in the fun- just after youput down those jelly beans and  wipe that chocolate off your face!!

Skeletons in the closet

 It's been quite awhile since I have posted. Life has just been too busy. I am sure you can all relate. I had a few days with nothing going on so I got into my studio to play. I haven't spent aday experimenting and getting inky in years. I had an idea in mind from a card that I saw on Pinterest that I forgot to pin (of course). Anyway it was with using an acrylic block to stamp a watercolor background with.

I started out by using distress inks, but the colors were just not vibrant enough. I then decided to sprinkle some color burst powders on the block and heavily spritz the block. Sure enough, I got just the vibrancy I was looking for. Messy but well worth it.

It just so happened that Just Us Girls was having a challenge using acrylic blocks to stamp with.
Naturally, I had to enter.

I haven't done this kind of artsy fartsy stamping  forever. I tend to be CAS these days. But who knew- you can be artsy and CAS, don't you think?

 I would like to say, you will hear from me again soon, but don't hold your breath. School, work, families and holidays are all conspiring to steal my time.

So until another time, happy creating!!

The sky's the limit

This is the time year where graduations abound. My BFF told me she was going to her granddaughter's graduation from preschool. Preschool!!!! I then found out there are graduations not only from preschool but kindergarten, elementary school, middle school. Geez, you can tell I don't have kids! 😀 Well if all these graduations are going on, you are going to need a bunch of congrats cards. I figured I better get a stock in.

CAS(E) this Sketch and Addicted to CAS both had a challenged that when I saw it, I knew exactly what I was going to do. Sometimes it happens like that. You just grab your stamps and 20 minutes later you have your creation done.

Die cuts seem to be a buzz word this week. Both The Male Room and Just Us Girls are looking for us to use them in our work.

 

I used Lawn Fawn's Blue Skies. I sponged the blue sky background and added the clouds and hot air balloon, all colored with copics.  Die cut them. (what would we do without dies?!!) The sentiment and gems were added and voila- the card was done.

These are some really fun challenges. Click on my links and play along too.

Its all about the chemistry

Yep, this all over stamping seems to be quite the rage right now. Just Us Girls sure were on point this week with their trend challenge. They want us to stamp all over.

I was pulling out various stamp sets trying to figure out what I would want and this Lawn Fawn set jumped into my hands. Literally, I was going for another set and this one fell off and I had to grab it!!! Coincidence?? I think not. This set wanted to be used and it made that clear!!!

I stamped the beakers all over and added the sentiment and those adorkable chicks. I think Mr. George is gonna love this happy and colorful Valentine card.

Here is a close up of some of the detail. I added a shadow around the beakers to add some demension to an essentially flat card. I added some "bubbles" with a white pen to each beaker. The chick's glasses have glossy accents to make them more realistic.

This was a fun challenge. Check out how the JUGs were inspired and play along.

Miracles

I truly believe in miracles. For one thing how can you not wake up in the morning and find the dawning of a new day a miracle. I am celebrating a small but long prayed for miracle today. For those who know me or have followed my blog, you all know that my muse is Pinkie my sweet calico kitty. She spends her days hanging with me in my studio inspiring me to create. 

Poor Pinks has been pretty sick over the last month or so. Not unexpected I suppose in a 16 year old girl. She has been quite a trooper through, hospilizations, IVs, sticks, xrays etc etc. She is on multiple medications and the poor thing has been not eating and losing weight. 

Yesterday morning after yet another visit to the vet, a small miracle happened and Miss Pinkie woke me up asking for food. She scarfed down a small bowl and cooperatively took her meds.  I tried not be to excited until I awoke this morning and she was waiting for me in the studio asking to eat. She is now a member of the clean bowl club!

In honor of this small miracle, I created this card using a fav sentiment from Simon Says Stamp.

I die cut an old die from Memory Box and lightly traced the flowers onto the water color paper. I then just created a watercolor wash just trying to stay within the confines of the image. When I was happy with the water-coloring, I adhered the  die cut and stamped the sentiment. 

I am submitting this card to three challenges:

My old teamies at Just Us Girls are hosting a watercolor challenge:

Just Add Ink inspired my flower colors:

Muse has a card by Tracy McNeely.  Her colors and flowery card inspired mine:

I hope you all find miracles every day!

Wish Big!!

I have a couple of birthdays coming up. A guy and a girl. I didn't want to reinvent the wheel so I put my thinking cap on and took a gander at challenges this week and both Just Us Girls and Less is More had the inspiration I needed to get  the job done.

Just Us Girls  had a trend week challenge and what is more trendy than balloons. Here is a trend that I am actually on point with! I have tons of balloon stamps and dies!

The gang over at Less is More is having a OLC challenge and the key word is "wishing".

Well these two challenges fit together like peanut butter and jelly, tomato soup and grill cheese, bacon and eggs- geez I must be hungry!

For my one layer card, I made a stencil from the largest balloon in the Simon Says Stamp die set using masking paper. I sponged the base yellow color in and then layers a polka dot stencil over the balloon and sponged in the red dots.

I added the string and the sentiment from Papertrey Ink and there ya have it.

For the guy card, I changed it up a bit, instead of stenciling the balloon, I die cut the balloon with decorative paper and popped it up on the card base and added the sentiment with matching colors.

Well, I am off to have something to eat. Check out the challenges at Just Us Girls and Less is More.