Brrrr ... it's been Christmas Craftin Weather!

Since it has felt so cold and breezy this week with the wind whippin' around up on our hill, I haven't felt much like going outside.  So I have been gathering ideas for Christmas cards from Pinterest and my craft table is a mess right now, but ... I got a few cards done before the end of the month to participate in Lisa's 12-months of Christmas Link-Up challenge.  :)  Yeahhh!

The first card is using the image I have had on my desk for a while now from From The Heart stamps called "For The Birds."

The second image is my attempt at a vintage style card with a collage.  Not sure I am crazy about that one, but it will do for now.

The last one is in the group photo and I had used a House Mouse ATC that I have had from a trade quite a few years ago that I have been holding onto as well.

I need to simplify a bit here in the craft room and have decided to start using other's ATCs on my cards to send to friends and family.  I think they will enjoy them as much as I have.

Thanks for stopping by.  I would love to hear from you.  Please leave a comment.

Hugs,

End of my GDT position with FTH

These two images (Hamlet PigWit Pig Out and For the Birds) were the last of my creations for the guest designer position with From The Heart Stamps.  Unfortunately, I didn't get the cards completed in time for this week's challenge, as I was busy packing last weekend for a trip to Atlantic City, NJ and just got back today. I will definitely miss creating with this amazing group of ladies on a regular basis, but I will continue to play along as often as I can ... when I am not too busy with my full-time position at Nuance.  :)

Thank you SO much to Faith, Imke and the rest of the team for giving me a chance to join an amazing group of crafters.  I was definitely honored to do so.

Love and Inky Hugs,

Winter Friends FTH SOTM challenge

It is almost half way through the month already ... it's going so fast, but I finally got a chance to play along with the From The Heart SOTM challenge! :)  Look at this wintery image called Winter Friends.  Aren't they sweet?!  Here is my creation for the challenge.

Image:  Winter Friends from From The Heart stamps
Papers:  Bazzill cs, light green, light blue and pink, BasicGrey Eskimo Kisses pink and green plaid
Tools:  Spellbinders large ovals and lacey ovals, Copics, corner rounder punch and glittered snowflake ornament from Walmart package

If you joined the challenge in June, you would have received Winter Friends via email by now.  This challenge closes on the last day of the month, and a new image will be posted by the 3rd of next month.

If you missed out, you can still play along with the challenge by purchasing the image. Then you can enter the challenge and receive next month’s digi free. OR if you spend $10 in the From The Heart Stamps store this month, you can enter code SNOWINJULY to receive Winter Friends as a free gift.  *Only one offer per person, please. Make sure your purchase doesn’t include this image or you will receive 2. Thank you!

Inky Hugs,

Gloooorrrriiiiiaaa!

This week's "I {Heart} Sketch Challenge" at From The Heart's blog is starting today.  Please join us this week by playing along.  Only restriction is to use a FTH image and this sketch ...

I used the lovely Gloria image from From The Heart Stamps 

and dry embossed with the Joy and Cheer Cuttlebug folder.  

Image: Gloria 
Papers: Stampin Up Pretty in Pink, Bazzill light blue textured cs,
blue cs and dp scraps and marbled vanilla/sand cs 
Color Medium: Copics (B00, E00, E02, E11, E13, C1, C3) and Spica glitter pen 
Tools: Spellbinders large ovals and lacey ovals

I love this folder and I really hate to cover it up, so I used it on the inside as well.

Now just a small area will be covered with a sentiment to finish out this card in time for Christmas.

Hope you have a great week and are able to play along with us this week using this great I {Heart} Sketch #74.  Maybe try a Christmas card earlier this year so that you too are ready for Christmas gift giving. :)

Inky Hugs,

FTH Hop - Christmas in July!!

Welcome to our From the Heart Stamps blog hop. Our theme this month is “Christmas in July”. 

Our designers are showcasing lots of gorgeous projects.

As you hop along, please leave a comment on each blog for a chance to win the following:

• One random commenter will be selected on each blog to win an image (of their choice) for themselves and one for a friend.
• One commenter on the From the Heart Stamps blog will be selected to win a $15 gift voucher to the store!

If you have arrived from Cheryl's Blog, you are in the right place, if not why don’t you start on the From the Heart Stamps blog, so you don’t miss anything.

Here is my project, using Seven Christmas Birds.

I have really fallen for these cute birdies, and they are so much fun to color with my Copics.  Thanks to Faith's image for reference, I was able to shade them without too much difficulty (seems to be the hardest part for me).

I created two cards for today's blog hop using the image and sentiment from this set.

Image:  Seven Christmas Birds
Papers:  Bazzill textured cs, Neenah white cs, BasicGrey Eskimo Kisses
Color Medium:  Momento London Fog, Copics (B00, B02, B14, Y11, Y13, Y15, Y18, R11, R20, R22, C1, C3, C5, R29, R24, R08, G03, G07, G09)
Tools/Accessories:  Spellbinders curved rectangles,
Stampin Up Coluzzle oval, SU ribbon trim punch
and SU gumball green satin stitched ribbon

Inside of Card 1 using Spellbinders curved rectangles
and Labels One dies with the Sending Love sentiment
from the Seven Christmas Birds set

Image:  Seven Christmas Birds
Papers:  Bazzill textured cs, SU pretty in pink cs, Neenah white cs,
and BasicGrey Eskimo Kisses
Color Medium:  Momento London Fog, Copics (B00, B02, B14, Y11, Y13, Y15, Y18, R11, R20, R22, C1, C3, C5, R29, R24, R08, G03, G07, G09)
Tools/Accessories:  Stampin Up Coluzzle oval, SU punch board used
for ribbon, Spellbinders curved rectangles and light blue ribbon
flower accent from my stash

Inside of Card 2 using Spellbinders curved rectangles
and Labels One dies with the Sending Love sentiment
from the Seven Christmas Birds set

Now head on over to Angela's blog and see what she has created.

Thanks for hopping with us today!! :)  The hop will end on Monday, July 7th at 6 a.m. EDT.  Winners will be posted on the From the Heart Stamps Blog on Wednesday, July 9th.  Good luck to you!

Inky Hugs,



P.S. - I have linked up at Lisa D's Christmas Link-Up too.  If you create your Christmas cards early, check out her blog!!

Frosty Images for a Muggy June Day

We have a blog hop coming up on July 4th (Christmas in July), and you won't want to miss it!! 

 I have been playing around with some Christmas images from FTH.  I will be making more, so here are a couple I can share with you a little early, but don't forget to stop back and see the rest on July 4th!!  I just adore these Seven Christmas Birds, and Faith's example image was so much fun to try and duplicate.  I think I will make a ton more like this for my Christmas cards this year.  :)

Image:  Seven Birds Christmas
Papers:  Scrap pieces from DCWV - snow and snowflakes,
SU blue and Neenah white
Tools/Accessories:  Corner rounder punch, Spellbinders Curved Rectangles dies,
1 inch circle punch, SU large oval punch, Martha Stewart lacy punch, Spellbinders
small ovals and small scalloped oval sets and of course Copic markers

Image:  FTH Trimming the Birdhouse
Papers:  SU real red, DCWV Christmas pack, BasicGrey Wassail scrap.
Tools: SU large oval punch, Spellbinders largest small oval and largest small scalloped oval die
Colored image within Adobe PSE (need more practice at that)

Seven Christmas Birds closeup

Inky Hugs and cooler nights to you all! :)  Hoping these wintery images help you feel a little cooler if you are having muggy days/nights as well.

Entering these cards quickly into Lisa D's 12 month Christmas link-up.  If you haven't started making your Christmas cards yet, you may want to get a jump on them and link up at Lisa's page here too!  You get a free Christmas digi paper each month that you complete at least 2 cards - now that's incentive!!

Get Well Cards for Sick Chicks

I have a couple of friends who were recently in the hospital for surgery, so with the sketch challenge coming up and this cute Sick Chick image already printed out and ready to go ... I was just about set.  Started coloring these little guys with my Copic markers Wednesday, chose some matching DP to go with them, and then had them ready to go this past weekend.  I am hoping to get these in the mail this morning so the recipients get them soon.

As mentioned above, I used From The Heart's "I {heart} Sketch #73" (shown below) without the tWiSt:

Image: Sick Chick ; Papers: SU Dusty Durango, misc DPs from scrap bin 
Coloring Medium: Copics - B00, B02, B14, Y11, Y13, YR07, YR09, YR16, W1, W3
and SU Not Quite Navy marker for accenting the edge of the die cut Tools/Other Supplies: Spellbinders Labels One die, prima roses with leaf die cuts and tiny pearl beads for accents 

Image: Sick Chick 
Papers: SU Dusty Durango, misc DPs from scrap bin 
Coloring Medium: Copics - B00, B02, B14, Y11, Y13, YR07, YR09, YR16, W1, W3 and SU Not Quite Navy marker for accenting the edge of the die cut 
Tools/Other Supplies: Spellbinders Curved Rectangles die, 
dark green polka dot ribbon and a button for accents

Hoping these Sick Chicks bring a chuckle to you and the recipients.  Check them out at From The Heart Stamps today.  :)   This sketch challenge runs until July 6th, so stop on by and try your hand at winning some great images from FTH too.

Inky Hugs,

Still a Spring Chick! :)

Today's card was created with a few of my girlfriends in mind.  The sketch I used was From The Heart's I {heart} Sketches #72 using the twist of warm reds, oranges and yellows!! :) With the Summertime fun

fast approaching, this Sketch will be held for 2 full weeks to give you all extra time to play along.  So,

please upload your photo to play along at the FTH blog by July 6th.

We can't wait to see what you come up with too!  :)

Image: Birthday Candle Birdbrain 
Papers: pale yellow and light red-orange Bazzill card stock and
Stampin Up red, only orange, summer sun and barely banana cs 
Coloring Medium: prismacolor pencils and Gamsol Tools/Other Supplies: SU large oval punch, Spellbinders circles and scalloped circles,
sheer orange ribbon w/white polka dots.

This was a fun sketch, and I hope you get a chance to play along too.  See you there!!

Inky Hugs,

Dad's a SuperHero

June's FREE Stamp of the Month progressive challenge is on going at this time.  

You won't want to miss it! :) If you joined the challenge in May, you should have received Super Birdbrain via email by now from Faith.  This challenge closes on the last day of the month, and a new image will be 

posted by the 3rd of next month.

If you missed out, you can still play along with the challenge by purchasing the image. Then you can enter the challenge and receive next month’s digi free. OR if you spend $10 in the From The Heart Stamps store this month, you can enter code JUSTSUPER to receive as Super Birdbrain a free gift.  *Only one offer per person, please. Make sure your purchase doesn’t include this image or you will receive 2.

 This image can be used for masculine cards

any time of the year really.  This time I used it for my Dad's Father's Day card to match

his gift with the shirt and tie packaging (Clark Kent by day Super Bird by night).  :) lol

Image: Super Birdbrain
Papers: Green Bazzil card stock and Stampin Up DP
(I believe it's the Autumn Traditions set)
Coloring Medium: Copics 
Other Supplies: Spellbinders Deckled Rectangles, yellow star flatback button/charm

Come on over to From The Heart's Progressive Challenge and join us this month!

Inky Hugs,

You Just Can't Cage Love and a Winner!

Hello, readers!

I hope you had a great weekend.  We got to spend time with family, so that made it extra special.

I used Sketch #70 for this week's From The Heart Image called "Lil Birdie" from From The Heart Stamps.  I adore this little girl and the sweet look on her face for this little birdie.  You can surely tell she loves this little bluebird.  I found this bird cage with a heart in my charm collection ... Again, thank you to America! :)

Image:  Lil Birdie from From The Heart Stamps
CS:  White Neenah cs, Stampin Up rose red and positively pink cs, DP from SU too (unsure name)
Tools/Extras: Spellbinders large rectangles and large scalloped rectangles, seam binding
colored to match the pinks and heart cage charm.
Sketch: I Heart Sketches #70 with the Twist (spotlighting technique)

Come on over to From The Heart's blog to check out
I {Heart} Sketches #70 this week!

And what you have all been waiting for ...

Congratulations to my winner of stamps and goodies shown on my last post ... 

Carmen Olsen from Carmen's Creative Chatter!  

Thanks for sharing my blog candy on Facebook too! :)

Please PM or email me your mailing address so I can send them to you.

Inky Hugs,

From The Heart One for the Guys Blog Hop

Welcome to our From the Heart Stamps blog hop.

Our theme this month is “One for the Guys”.

Our designers are showcasing lots of gorgeous projects.  As you hop along, please leave a comment on each entry.  One random commenter will be selected on each blog to win the image that the designer used.  And additionally, one commenter on the From the Heart Stamps blog will be selected to win a $5 gift voucher to the store!

I am proud to be the first one on the Blog Hop.  :)  If you have arrived from the From The Heart blog, you are in the right place, if not why don’t you start on the From the Heart Stamps blog, so you don’t miss anything.

Here is my project, using Lighthouse.

Card Details:  Image: Lighthouse
Paper: Stampin Up Rock-a-Bye Baby Simply Said cs and dp, SU Botanical Gazette dp 
Coloring Medium: Copics (B18, B02, B00, Y13, Y11, Y21, E33, E25, C1, C3, C5) 
Other Supplies/Tools: Cuttlebug Spots and Dots and D'vine Swirls folders, Spellbinders Deckled Rectangles, SU window word punch and 1 and 1 1/2 inch punches, gold hemp cord and anchor charm.

Closeup of the Sentiment  - Isaiah 60:19

Now head over to Angela's blog and see what she has created.

Thanks for hopping with us today. The hop will end on Monday June 9th at 6am, EDT.  Winners will be posted on the From the Heart Stamps Blog on Wednesday June 11th.

Inky Hugs,



P.S. - I am also adding this card to the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp - Father's Day/Masculine
Digi Sketch Challenge - Use a stamp or sketch (theme this time)
C.R.A.F.T. challenge - Father's Day/Male