MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE ! ! !

May the peace and beauty of the season be with you always!

100th Challenge Blog Hop at The Pixie Cottage!!!!

It's a very special challenge at ThE PixiE  CottagE this week as we are celebrating our 100th challenge!

To mark this special occasion we are having an "Anything Goes Christmas" challenge and also a blog hop for some very special prizes!

You should have come to me from Davi Long Reid and if not, then please go back to ThE PixiE  CottagE so that you don't miss a spot on the hop.

You'll need to collect letters from all the blogs on the hop to be in with a chance of winning.

Also, you must leave a comment at all the blogs as each one is giving away a PixiE CottagE Digital Image so plenty of prizes to be had.  The winner from my blog will be chosen from the comments, and will win a digital image of their choice!

Finally, when you get back to the ThE PixiE CottagE leave your name and link to your blog in the Inlinkz box for a chance to win a $20 Gift Certificate to Michelle's Scrapbooking!  We'd love for you to enter with a Christmas card/project but if you are only entering the blog hop, please add BH after your name. Only one "Blog Hop Only" entry per person.

So now you just need to leave me a comment and then hop along to Tanya Johnson to carry on with the fun!

For this 100th challenge, I made this little banner. 

I cut the backdrops and letters with my Cricut, embossed each backdrop with a Sizzix folder then edged each one with a gold DecoColor pen.  The letters were cut from a thick gold metallic cardstock.  I threaded each little pennant onto thin gold wire with a sparkly bead between each one.   I colored the cute "Not Even a Mouse" Pixie Cottage image with Copics, cut it out and mounted it on Spellbinders Holly Motifs.  I then suspended it with fine wire from the Merry banner.   The poinsettias were made with Spellbinders Poinsettia Creations, with sparkly beads added to the centers.  Below are close ups of the image and one of the poinsettias.

Stamps:  Not Even a Mouse, by The Pixie Cottage.

Paper:  The Paper Studio, not sure who made the gold CS.

Ink: DecoColor pen.

Accessories:  Cricut, Spellbinders Holly Motifs and Poinsettia Creations, Stickles, wire, beads, Sizzix Snow Globe EF.

Last Minute Gift at The Pixie Cottage

The theme at The Pixie Cottage is last minute Christmas gifts and cards.  As always there's a sketch  you can follow as well. 
You know how it is during the holidays...there's always one more little gift or trinket for something that comes up unexpectedly or last minute.  Last year at this time I was the "newbie" at work and really didn't know anyone well at all.  I chose not to participate in the name-drawing for Secret Santa gifts, because I didn't want anyone to feel obligated to buy something for someone they didn't know. There were two ladies that were very helpful with breaking me in and teaching me the ropes, and I made them each a little gift similar to this one pictured, just different colors and images.  They loved them!  :)

One of those ladies needed some little gifts for her daughter's classmates and asked if I could make up 15 of the mugs with an image that kids would like, and I went straight for "To Santa From Buffy" by The Pixie Cottage.  Last week I had stamped and colored a bunch of these images to use on Christmas cards.  I just love the chubby little bunny!  They have now been reappropriated; just need to color up a few more.  You can get this stamp from Michelle's Scrapbooking.

Buffy is colored with Copics, then I cut around the image very closely and attached it to Spellbinders Deckled Classic Ovals which I lightly sponged with Distress Ink.  I made the "mug"from Kraft paper, embossed some little swirls with copper EP. I then attached the oval to the front of the mug.  Inside the mug are two different flavored packets of cocoa, mini marshmallows in the cellophane, and two skinny chocolate covered peppermint sticks (that somehow managed to hide behind the cellophane).  Quick and easy little gift!

Stamps:  To Santa From Buffy, by The Pixie Cottage.
Paper:  Kraft CS, Neenah Solar White.
Ink:  Copics, Distress Inks.
Accessories:  Spellbinders Deckled Classic Oval, Stickles, Liquid Pearls, copper EP, ribbon.

The Pixie Cottage Holiday Home Decor

The challenge this week at The Pixie Cottage is a little different.  We want to see holiday banners, ornaments, etc...  Or if you create a card, it must follow this week's sketch (below) 

I made this little wreath by stringing a bunch of jingle bells onto wire.  The bow and curly tendrils are 1/4 metal strips I cut and curled.  Few nicks on the fingers while manipulating it because the metal edges are sharp, but it turned out pretty. The leaves were in my stash, and I swiped a cotton ball with Distress Ink over them to give them a patina.  I colored "To Santa From Buffy", available at Michelle's Scrapbooking, with Copics, cut around the image and suspended it in the center of the wreath.  I have this hanging on the inside of my front door.  Now I hear a pretty jingly sound when someone opens the door and there's no more sneaking up on me. :) 

Challenges: 
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes.

Stamps:  To Santa From Buffy by The Pixie Cottage.
Paper:  Neenah Solar White
Ink:  Memento, Copics.
Accessories:  Liquid Pearls and Stickles, jingle bells, wire, cording, thin metal sheet.

Pixie Cottage Challenge #97

Happy Wednesday all!  Time for another challenge at  The Pixie Cottage challenge blog.  This week's theme is Make a Set.  That could be something like a card and matching box, a set of tags or set of cards.  There is also the sketch to follow, so you could choose to do the sketch as well. 

My daughter is getting married in March, and I made this set of tags for each of the five bridesmaid's gifts.  I know, I'm way early with these, but there is a LOT still to be done.  I used the Faith Sentiments stamp available at Michelle's Scrapbooking, cut and embossed with Spellbinders Scalloped Rectangle, and inked with Distress Ink.  The tag was cut with my Cricut, using some metallic cardstock from Hobby Lobby.  I made all the flowers (I'm getting better and quicker at making them) , except for the white one at the upper right.  The leaves are from Marianne D dies.  Added scraps of lace, some pearls, and crinkled seam binding. 

Hope you join us this week for a fun challenge! 

Stamps:  Faith Sentiments by The Pixie Cottage.
Paper:  Metallic paper from DCWV, Neenah  Solar White.
Ink:  Memento, Distress Ink.
Accessories:  Cricut, seam binding, flat-back pearls, Marianne D die, Spellbinders die, lace, handmade flowers.


Challenges:
Craft Your Days Away - Embellisment bingo (pearls, flowers, ribbons).
Gingerloft - Lace, fabric or felt.
One Stitch at a Time - Anything goes.
Simon Says Stamp - Tag, You're It!
Cooking With Cricut - Bible verse or quote

Pixie Cottage Challenge #96

Whew...where are the days going?  I can't believe next week is Thanksgiving!  Over at the Pixie Cottage Challenge blog the theme this week is Family Thankfulness.  There is also a great sketch to follow...so follow the theme, follow the sketch, or do both.  But come play along with our challenge this week!

I need more Christmas cards, so I followed the sketch and used Sebastian the Snowman, available at Michelle's Scrapbooking.  He is colored with Copics and has Stickles Frosted Lace on his feet.  The corner embellies are Spellbinders Holly Motifs and the snowflakes are a Cuttlebug die.  Gold Dew Drops for a final touch.  Easy peasy. 

Stamps:  Sebastian the Snowman from The Pixie Cottage.
Paper: 
Ink:  Copics.
Accessories:  Spellbinders Holly Motifs, Cuttlebug snowflakes, Dew Drops, Stickles.

This week's sketch

Pixie Cottage Challenge #95

This week at The Pixie Cottage challenge blog, the theme is Blue For a Boy.  There's also a great sketch to follow, as always.   I just go this new Pixie Cottage image by Alisa Ramirez called Not Even a Mouse, available here at Michelle's Scrapbooking.  How CUTE is that little bear with the mice sleeping all over him!!  I decided to follow the sketch this time, flipped it on its side.

I colored the image with Copics and added Liquid Pearls to the fluffy parts of the hats.  Cut and embossed the image with Spellbinders Labels Fourteen, edged it with a gold leaf pen.  The little poinsettia and frilly diecut in the back are Spellbinders Holly Accents and Motifs.  Used Cheery Lynn French Doily die on the green damask paper.  Traced around the die and cut free hand for the matt, sponged the edges of both.  All DP is The Paper Studio.  Added the Dew Drops.

Stamps:  Not Even a Mouse from The Pixie Cottage.
Paper:  The Paper Studio.
Ink:  Copics, Distress Inks.
Accessories:  Dew Drops, gold lead pen, Spellbinders Labels Fourteen, Holly Accents and Motifs, Liquid Pearls.

This week's sketch

Jester Favor Box

Over the past several weeks I have been making flowers, punching different leaves, and cutting box bases from scraps of cardstock and DP in my stash.  Even a lunch bag didn't stand a chance and got punched out for a couple different flowers.  I spent several weeks before all the cutting and punching, planning 22 different little favor boxes, all for my daughter's wedding.  She knows I love paper crafting and I love boxes and she asked if I could make a different favor box for each table.  So I now have one each of 22 different boxes completely finished, and 7 more of each cut out and the flower parts and leaves and embellishments cut out and ready to assemble.  I'll eventually get them all posted.

So anyway, as I was surfing through different challenges I came across the fancy folds challenge at Our Creative Corner and use your scraps challenge at  Mark's Finest Papers.  This is the box that fits both as it is a fancy fold and is made entirely from scraps in my stash. I call it Jester (yes, I'm a dork...I named each box).  I went to a Montessori school for 9 years, entering public school at age 11.  I have kept in touch with the teacher I had during those Montessori years, and when I graduated from high school she gave me a book on origami boxes and this box is one of them. 

The base is a 6 1/2" square scrap I had in my stash, have no idea who the maker is but I got it at Hobby Lobby.  Various folds got it to the box form, with little "flaps" on each side. It came out to 2 1/2" square. The flourished paper I also got at HL, and thankfully have enough scraps for all eight boxes.

Here's a view from the top.   For the base of the lid I traced around the outside of one of the Spellbinders Lacy Doily Accents dies, cut it out by hand, and then embossed it with the same die.  I did a die cut from the same die using the another scrap same as the base and glued it onto the base, so it has an inlaid look into the embossed based.  I have seen different tutorials for Prima-like flowers around blog land, using the Retro Flower punch.  I don't have that punch, so I searched my Cricut cartridges and cut the layers of the flower  and the star base on my Cricut and made the flower.  It's tan cardstock with a sponge bath of Milled Lavender Distress Ink.  The fern leaves are a punch. 

Just another shot with the lid askew so you can see the inside. 

Underside of the top, with it's little lid that fits right inside the box.

Our Creative Corner - Fancy Folds
Mark's Finest Papers - Use your scraps

Stamps:  None.
Paper:  Stash scraps, from Hobby Lobby (not sure of maker).
Ink: Distress Inks.
Accessories:  Spellbinders Lacy Doily Accents, Cricut, fern punch.

A Pixie Cottage Christmas Card

Time to start adding more Christmas cards to you stash, and this week's theme at The Pixie Cottage is Christmas card.  There is also a wonderful sketch to follow.  So create a card using the theme or the sketch, or both, but come join us for this week's challenge! 

There are lots of wonderful Pixie Cottage stamps available at Michelle's Scrapbooking.  For the Christmas card theme, I used the Winter Window image by Sandra Hammer.  I colored it with Copics, sponged lightly around the edge with Aged Mahogany Distress Ink, and added some Stickles to the snow and tree.  I stamped and cut out an additional tree, colored the same at the first one, and mounted it on foam dots.  I followed the sketch and used DP from The Paper Studio. Sentiment was printed from my computer, cut/embossed with Spellbinders Double-Ended Tag and added the acrylic snowflakes. 

Stamp:  "Winter Window" from The Pixie Cottage.
Paper:  The Paper Studio  DP and  CS.
Ink:  Copics, Distress Ink.
Accessories:  Stickles, foam dots, acrylic snowflakes.


Challenges
One Stitch at a Time:  Christmas
Papertake Weekly: Anything goes
ABC Christmas Challenge: V for vintage.

Going For Gold at The Pixie Cottage!

It's another Wednesday challenge at The Pixie Cottage. This week's theme is Going for Gold.  There's also this wonderful sketch to follow.  As always, you can choose the theme, follow the sketch, or do both!  Hope you join us!
This week I decided to follow both theme and sketch.  I used Hannah at a Fence, by Sandra Hammer, available at Michelle's Scrapbooking.  Still need lots of practice, but I chose to color the image with Copics again.  It is layered on cardstock and gold vellum.  The background strips were embossed with a CB folder and layered over gold vellum background.  The flowers I made, and the leaves are from a Crealies die.  Added some gold Liquid Pearls to the corners of two of the panels. 

Stamps:  Hannah at a Fence from the Pixie Cottage.
Paper:  Sand CS (scrap from my daughter's wedding invitation), vellum, SU! CS.
Ink:  Memento, Copics, Colorbox Queues.
Accessories:  Handmade "Prima" style roses, Crealies CL CS 11 leaf die, Cuttlebug EF from Oriental pack, Liquid Pearls. 

Sweet as Candy, Pixie Cottage #92

Time for another challenge at The Pixie Cottage!  As always we have two parts to the challenge and you can choose either or both to play along with.  We have a fabulous sketch and our theme this week is Sweet as Candy.  I finally figured out how to merge digital images, and couldn't wait to use Mystical Mushroom digital image by ARTish, available at Michelle's Scrapbooking. 

Isn't that a cute image?!? It is a great background for the little fairy. The scene was colored with Copics. Added some Stickles to the swirlies.  I cut/embossed the scene with Spellbinders Big Scalloped Circles, layered on top of In Spades Penant.  DP is from Bearly Mine Designs.  Flowers and leaves are Marianne D dies.

Stamps:  Mystical Mushroom, The Pixie Cottage; Summary Fairy, The Greeting Farm.
Paper:  SU! CS, Bearly Mine Designs DP.
Ink:  Copics, Colorbox Queues.
Extras:  Stickles, Spellbinders Big Scalloped Circles and In Spades Penant, Marianne D LR0111 and LR0150, flat back pearls.

Dark and Spooky at The Pixie Cottage

It's another Wednesday (yay, two more days till the weekend!), and that means another challenge at The Pixie Cottage.  Halloween is only a couple weeks away, and this week's challenge is Dark and Spooky.  There's also another great sketch  you can follow, or you can combine the sketch and the theme.  I chose to go with a simple card layout again this time.

I used this cute little Hannah Witch stamp, available at Michelle's Scrapbooking and More.  She is colored with Copics.  I drew the moon around the witch, which is from Inkadinkado, and then added PearlEx in splotches.  The background was sponged with Distress Ink.  Background DP is a freebie from Bearly Mine Designs.  Sentiment I printed from my computer. 

Stamps:  Hannah Witch from The Pixie Cottage, Halloween Trails by Inkadinkado.

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, digital paper from Bearly Mine Designs.

Ink:  Memento, Distress Inks.

Accessories:  PearlEx.

Fall Fun With The Pixie Cottage

Okay, I'm back in gear now, have my Pixie Cottage DT card ready.  This week's challenge at The Pixie Cottage is Fall Fun.  There's also a great sketch to follow, or you can do both theme and sketch. 

Isn't this a fun image!  It's a digital image by the wonderfully talented ArTish called Barnie's Fall Ride, available at Michelle's Scrapbooking and More.  I colored it with Copics and cut the octagon shape by hand, sponged the edges with Colorbox Queues.  All the DP is from Prima First Blush collection.  The sentiment was printed off my computer, cut out with SU tag punch and attached on foam tape.  I followed this week's sketch and kept this pretty simple.

Stamps:  Barnie's Fall Ride digital image.

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Prima First Blush, The Paper Studio.

Ink:  Colorbox Queues, Copic markers, Memento.

Accessories:  Foam tape, round studs. :)

Pop It Up For The Pixie Cottage Challenge #89

It's Wednesday again, and that means it's time for another challenge at The Pixie Cottage!  I did not get back in time from Vermont to get my card created to go live for the challenge, but will get it posted hopefully this evening here on my blog. 

 

This week's theme is "Pop It Up!"  You can interpret this in lots of ways, you could make a Pop Up Card, use foam dots to pop up areas, make an easel card, anything just as long as it pops! As always, there is also a second part to our challenges, which is a sketch.  Here is this week's great sketch you can follow. 

 

Follow the theme, the sketch, or get wild and follow both! Either way, come join us at The Pixie Cottage!

 

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My Brother's Birthday Cards

Hello from beautiful Vermont!  We just finished a wonderful breakfast prepared by our lovely hostess and inn owner, Jane Doerfer.  We are here to visit my daughter at Norwich University's Parent Weekend, and this is our 7th or 8th stay at the Green Trails Inn.  We have seen quite a bit of the damage from the flood waters hurricane Irene devastated this pretty little state with, and Jane sustained some damage to the inn, but all seems to be getting back to normal as well as it can. 

I have two birthday cards to post that I sent to my brother. This first one is from me, and I am using for the House Mouse Challenge. They are having a big birthday blog hop, and I would love to play along, but time is limited, so I'm just posting my card.  I believe this image stamp is called "Popping Mouse", colored with Copics and Prismacolor pencils.  Did some sponging around the edges, attached over Tuscan papers. The sentiment was printed from my computer, cut/embossed with Spellbinders Ovals.  Added the metal corners after I "aged" them a bit with Copics. 

This next card is the one I made for our mother to give to my brother.  I followed this week's Midnight Madness sketch.  Used the Open Sea set from SU! as well as the nautical SU! papep. Lots of sponging and corner punching.  The compass was embossed with gold EP, cut/dry embossed with Spellbinders Circles. 

Both of these went together pretty quickly, and I really like how they turned out. 

Heading home Monday night, and will be back at the craft table doing wedding decoration stuff for my daughter.  Hope to get able to get more cards in as well. 

 

Pixie Cottage Challenge #87

It's Wednesday...that means two more day till Friday!  :)  It also means time for another challenge at The Pixie Cottage.  This week's challenge theme is Fussy and Fancy, and there's also a great sketch to follow.  You can choose theme or sketch, or both!  I was going to do both, but not sure I came out so well with the fussy and fancy, but I flipped the sketch on its side and followed it.  I used the digital image "Feather" from Michelle's Scrapbooking, colored with Copics, then cut/embossed with Spellbinders Labels Six die.  That was layered onto Spellbinders Scalloped Square which I embossed with a Cuttlebug folder.  I printed the sentiment from my computer, cut/embossed it with Spellbinders Oval die.  The roses are from Wild Orchid.  Added a couple curly ques and some rhinestones.

Stamps:  "Feather" digi image by Artish.

Paper:  SU! CS, unknown DP from stash.
Ink:  Memento, Copics, Colorbox Queues.
Accessories:  Spellbinders Labels Six, Scalloped Squares and oval dies, Wild Orchid roses, rhinestones, CB embossing folder, Stickles.

A House Mouse Recipe Card

Oh my gosh...I've had this card made for a week, but kept forgetting to take a picture of it and post it.  Between working on stuff for my daughter's wedding in the evenings, and this past week dealing with two attorneys on my own at work because each of their paralegal's were on vacation...my mind took a vacation of its own and forgot a few things.  Then had camera issues.  Just got back from a [WONDERFUL] weekend at the beach and there it was, so I took a quick picture with my cell phone, so sorry for the not too great quality.  Had to get in on the House Mouse challenge! :)

The challenge this time around on the House Mouse Challenge was to create something with a recipe on it.  This recipe for chai tea is yummy and I thought this image was perfect to go on the card.  I colored it with Copics, added some Liquid Pearls and Stickles.  The tea tag says "rose hips" on the stamp, but I masked that off, then wrote on the tag with a Copic fine liner.  Used bundled sage to stamp the vines onto a scrap of sage green SU! paper I still had left in my stash, then layered that onto another piece of SU! CS on which I used the MS Swirling Lace punch around the page.

Stamps: House Mouse "Feeling Rosey"

Paper:  SU! scraps, Neenah Solar White

Ink:  Memento, Copics.

Accessories:  MS Swirling Lace punches, Liquid Pearls, Stickles.

Never Forget...

We shall never forget
We shall keep this day,
We shall keep the events and the tears
In our minds, our memory and our hearts
and take them with us as we carry on.

Mellow Yellow at Pixie Cottage

It's time for another challenge at The Pixie Cottage. The week's challenge is "Mellow Yellow".  As always, there are two parts to the challenge...a great sketch and/or the theme.  You can do either or both.  This week I again chose to go with the theme, and again I used this adorable Hannah on Bench stamp available at Michelle's Scrapbooking.  I just love this image.  I colored her with Copics, cut/embossed the image with Spellbinders Labels Small.  I followed the sketch at Midnight Madness.  The background DP is HOTP, scraps from my stash.  The upper portion was embossed with a new folder from The Paper Studio.  Added some yellow Stickles and a few flowers and all finished with this cutie. 

Challenges

Midnight Madness - Sketch

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Mark's Finest Papers - Bring on the Bling

Stamps:  Hannah on Bench from The Pixie Cottage

Paper:  HOTP, SU!

Ink:  Memento, Copics

Accessories:  Spellbinders Labels Small, Wild Orchid roses, Kort and Godt flowers, Stickles, "intricate swirl" embossing folder from The Paper Studio.

Are My Colors Giving Me Away?

Can you tell I want fall to get here and bring cooler temperatures!?  We had 107 and 110 degrees here this past weekend.  This is crazy.  But here we are with another Wednesday coming around, which means it's time for another challenge at The Pixie Cottage!  This week's theme is back to school, and there's also this wonderful sketch to follow.  Do one or the other, or do both.  I followed the sketch, using "Pumpkin Bench" by Sandra Hammer, available at Michelle's Scrapbooking.  I colored it with Copics, cut/embossed with Spellbinders Deckled Oval die.  The little pots and flowers are a Rubber Stamp Tapestry set.  All paper is MME. 

Challenges: 
Crazy 4 Challenges: Male themed card.
One Stitch At a Time:  Halloween or fall theme.
Cards For Men:  "G"...Goodbye summer. Thank you Mandy!  :)
Creative Card Crew:  Anything goes

Stamps:  "Pumpkin Bench" from The Pixie Cottage, Rubber Stamp Tapestry "Pottery Garden".
Paper:  My Mind's Eye "Home" pack,  The Paper Studio.
Ink:  Copics, Colorbox Queues. 
Accessories:  Spellbinders Deckled Oval, seam binding, leaf charms.

Summer Nights at The Pixie Cottage

Summer nights is the theme at The Pixie Cottage this week.  We also have a great sketch to follow too.  Either/or, it's up to you...come join us!I usually follow both theme and sketch, but this week I chose the theme.  I used Hannah on Bench, available at Michelle's Scrapbooking.  Even though it's blazing hot here and she's wearing long sleeves, I'm imagining Hannah in a Vermont summer night setting.  My daughter is about to start her senior year of college up there, and she said the nights have been in the 50's already.  I colored Hannah with Copics; still need lots more practice with them.  Cut the image with Spellbinders oval dies and added the sunset "glow" with Distress Ink.  All DP is Graphics 45.  The flower was made using Spellbinders Rose Creations, then glitzed up with German Glass Glitter. 

Challenges:
Midnight Madness:  Sketch 118
Paper Sundaes:  Sundae bar
One Stitch at a Time: Bling
Shabby Tea Room:  Sweet Days of Summer

Stamps:  The Pixie Cottage "Hannah on Bench".
Paper: Graphics 45 "Once Upon a Springtime", The Paper Studio.
Ink:  Memento, Copics.
Accessories:  Spellbinders Ovals and Rose Creations, deckle edge scissors, buttons, handmade flower, German glass glitter, twine

Midnight Madness Meets Delicious Doodles

This card is for the Delicious Doodles DT call. The image is called Sexy Goth Girl, by Teresa Sherman and available at Stitchy Bear Stamps. The sentiment is from Verve's Artful Elegance set. I used the clean and simple version of the Midnight Madness sketch. Crazy 4 Challenges theme this week is monochromatic image. This image already has a lot of shading, but I added a bit more with Copics cool and warm grays, plus a hint of color for her eyes and lips. Cut/embossed with Spellbinders Labels 14. I really like the somewhat vintage feel to the card, along with the bit of whimsical with the image. 

Challenges:
Midnight Madness: Sketch 117, CAS version.
Paper Sundaes: Just saying hi.
One Stitch at a Time: Anything goes.
Digis With Attitude: Anything goes.
Crazy 4 Challenges: Monochromatic image.

Stamps: Sexy Goth Girl digital stamp by Delicious Doodles,
Paper: SU! cardstock, Basic Grey Cappella.
Ink: Colorbox Queues, Memento
Accessories: Spellbinders Labels 14, Wild Orchid roses, Kort and Godt flowers.

Big on Birthdays at The Pixie Cottage!

This week's theme for The Pixie Cottage challenge is Big on Birthdays.  There's also a great sketch to follow, and as always you can follow the sketch, the theme, or both.  I went with both.  Again.  :) This card was made for a friend's daughter, who loves ballet. I used the cute digi stamp Bellini (love the bows on her trunk!) by Artish, available at Michelle's Scrapbooking.  I colored the image with Copics, rounded the corners and inked with Colorbox Queues.  The little "presents" were made with scraps and the "ribbon" is a skinny strip cut with deckle edge scissors and covered with glitter.  The bows were cut with my Cricut and glittered as well.  My friend is French, so I thought the birthday sentiment in French was fitting.  She said to use lots of pinks, purples and blues.  Definitely got all that covered.  Can't help but think of Dr. Suess when I look at this card. :)

 

Challenges
Papertake Weekly - Bingo (pearls, ribbon, bling for my free spot)
Simon Says Stamps and Show - Bling
My Time to Craft - G is for...(mine is gift and girlie)
Everybody Art - Gifts.

Stamps:  Bellini digi stamps from The Pixie Cottage, "Bonjour Merci" from Crafty Secrets.
Paper:  DCWV Pocket Full of Posies, The Paper Studio.
Ink: Colorbox Queues.
Accessories: Corner rounder, Cricut, glitter, Stickles, ribbon, SU! punch, pearls.

Ridiculous Shipping Charges

I came across this post about outrageous shipping charges on Donalda's blog.  I have backed out of a shopping cart many times when I see the unreasonable shipping and handling charges.  Hopefully some of these companies will take heed if enough people stop ordering from them.

House Mouse ATC

When I first saw that the challenge at House Mouse and Friends Challenge blog was to create an ATC, I pulled out a bunch of HM stamps that could work for that little space.  I decided on this cute little image, called "Oh Happy Days" when my cell phone rang...my ring tone is Billy Idol's "Dancin' With Myself".  I used to play that song really loud on my stereo and spaz out (couldn't be called dancing) while I did house work.  So I stamped little Monica and colored her with Copics.  Clipped the corners, sponged with Distress Inks and added the tiny punched butterflies along with their dancing Stickles trails.  Thought the sentiment was perfect, and stamped it with Sepia.

Challenges: 

House Mouse and Friends:  ATC

Flutterby Wednesday:  Open.

Mark's Finest Papers:  Anything but standard 4 1/4 x 5 1/2.

If the Shoe Fits...Scrap it:  Show Us Your Green.

Stamps:  House Mouse "Oh Happy Days", Verve "Beautiful You".

Paper:  Neenah Solar White.

Ink:  Distress Inks, Memento.

Accessories:  Corner rounder, butterfly punch, Stickles

Say it With Flowers at The Pixie Cottage

This week at The Pixie Cottage we have another great sketch you can follow, or you can follow the theme and use flowers on your creation.  Or, you can do BOTH, which is what I did.  I used Spring Time Hannah With Butterflies available at Michelle's Scrapbooking and More.  I colored the image with Copics, then sponged on the clouds with Distress Inks.  The big rose was made with Spellbinders Rose Creations die, and the little ones with a small retro flower punch.  The gold sprigs were cut from vellum with a Marianne D die.
Challenges
Sketchy Colors: Pink, gold and white.
Gingerloft:  Make it sparkle.
Everybody Art: Summertime.
Papertake Weekly:  Handmade flowers
Creative Inspirations:  Summertime.

Stamps:  The Pixie Cottage "Spring Time Hannah With Butterflies", Verve "Fairy Tales".
Paper:  Neenah Solar White, DCWV Lace and Linen, vellum.
Ink:  Memento, Colorbox Queues. 
Accessories: Spellbinders Rose Creations, Labels Fourteen and Big Scalloped Circles, retro flower punch,  The Paper Studio Intricate Swirl embossing folder, Marianne D Decorative Elegance die, glitter, foam tape.

A Spoonful of Sugar Birthday

Oh what fun...to be a guest at A Spoon Full of Sugar! :).  This week's challenge is Birthdays.  I used this sweet image from Whiff of Joy, called "Willow With Sunhat", colored with Copics.  I followed the sketch at Paper Sundaes, making it into a shaped card by cutting on the fold with Spellbinders Grand Labels Eleven, and used the color scheme from CR84FN.  Willow was cut/embossed with Spellbinders Labels Fourteen die, and the sentiment, which I printed off my computer, was cut/embossed with Ribbon Tags Trio die.  The lavender DP is Lilac Avenue by KaiserCraft.  Tiny buttons from Michael's painted with Platinum Liquid Pearls.

Other Challenges:

Whiff of Joy - Buttons and Bows.
Paper Sundaes - Sketch.
CR84FN - Lavender, celery, gray.
Craft Your Days Away - Birthdays.
Crazy 4 Challenges - Shaped card.

Stamps:  Whiff of Joy "Willow With Sunhat". 
Paper:  KaiserCraft Lilac Avenue, The Paper Studio.
Ink:  Computer,  Colorbox Queues.
Accessories:  Spellbinders Grand Labels Eleven, Labels Fourteen, and Ribbon Tags Trio, seam binding, buttons, Wild Orchid roses, Crealies CL CS 11, Marianne D LR0150 Forest Branch.

Happy 18th Birthday to My "Baby"!

Hard to believe that 18 years ago I was in the hospital having my baby boy!  Time flies so quickly.  Tyler has grown into such a wonderful young man.  I am so very proud of him!  Trying to get a picture of him is like nailing Jello to a tree, but I do have a pic of him in my sidebar. :)  Below are some cards I made for him...from me, my mom and my daughter. 

I have been wanting to try the reflection technique, and I've seen it used many times in blogland with this set from Stampin Up.  I couldn't find a piece of the plastic packaging - and I have a stack of it somewhere, so I stamped the "reflected" part onto a plastic baggie.  Colored the grass with Copics and Prismacolor pencils, and the water with the pencils.  Clouds sponged on with Distress Inks.  I flubbed the right edge of the image, so cut it off and scooched it over to the edge.   Embossed the card base with the Tim Holtz folder.  Stamped the sentiment from Crafty Secrets and cut out with Spellbinders Labels Trio tag.    

Challenges
Cards for Men - Clean and Simple.
Paper Sundaes - Clouds and Sky.
Desert Islands Crafts Challenge - Itinerary.

Stamps: Stampin Up "Lovely as a Tree", Crafty Secrets "Glamour Girls" (sentiment).
Paper: The Paper Studio, Neenah Solar White.
Ink: Memento.
Accessories: Spellbinders Labels Trios and Labels Eight, Tim Holtz woodgrain EF, Dew Drops.

This next card was made with the "Open Sea" set from Stampin Up.  Compass was stamped with Versamark and embossed with gold EP.  All other images stamped with Memento sepia ink.  Sentiment printed from computer, torn and inserted into the Tim Holtz eye pin.

Challenges:
Craft Us Crazy - Anything Goes.
Creative Card Crew - Best Foot Forward (encouragement). 

Stamps:  Stampin Up "Open Sea".
Paper:  The Paper Studio, scraps.
Ink:  Memento.
Accessories:  Tim Holtz large eye pin, gold EP, foam tape.

Last but not least for Tyler's birthday cards is this one using Stampin Up's Sense of Time set.  Clock was stamped on the crackled looking DP scrap.  The smaller second hand was stamped on another scrap, inked and attached over the clot with a the clock hand.  The clock face was then attached to Spellbinders Labels Three.  I used a couple other scraps for the background, embossing the one with Tim Holtz Clock EF. Added the gears from Tim Holtz. 

Stamps:  Stampin Up "Sense of Time".
Paper:  HOTP DP.
Ink: Memento.
Accessories:  Spellbinders Labels Three, Tim Holtz Clocks EF, Tim Holtz gears and second hand. 

On another note, my daughter finally came back from her Navy training cruise, having spent 60 days on a submarine.  She's one of the first females to be allowed on subs. That was the longest period of time we have gone with no contact, and I have to admit...I almost went bonkers.  But she is back home for a few more days, before having to go back to school in Vermont.  Her fiance is here as well, and we sat down and did these Save-The-Date notices for their wedding.  I had gotten this Marianne D Frame die while Shelbie was under the water and thought it would make a nice background for the notice.  I had a mock-up ready when she got here, she liked it, and I put her to work on getting 160 of these made up.  After showing her how to do sponging, I did most of the die cuts, printed out the center portion, Shelbie did all the sponging, her fiance pitched in by cutting all the corners, and I added the Liquid Pearls.  They are very pretty IRL!  Here is a close up of each...one has blue, the other lavender.

Stamps:  None.

Paper:  The Paper Studio.

Ink:  Distress Inks, computer.

Accessories:  Marianne D LR0111 Frame, Liquid Pearls, corner rounder.