My Punny Valentine.....and more....

This week's featured stamper is Danielle (aka) dlounds.

You can find the Featured Stamper Challenge here and the picture that I cased is here.


The idea is to go to the featured stamper's gallery and pick a card to case and with Danielle's gallery it was so hard because she has so many beautiful cards to choose from!


I was able to use the "My Punny Valentine" stamp set from Papertrey Ink because they were in the mail on Friday.....woohoo!!


I ordered that one and Limitedless Labels (more nuggets to eat hey hey!!)
and Year-Round Puns. Year-Round Puns was just an extra little set that was offered for $5 and it compliments the other two sets fantastically!

This little squirrel turned out rather squirrely!! LOL!

I stamped him in Sahara Sand Versa Chalk Ink and tried to roll him around in Adirondack Espresso which is a darker brown and of course it messed up.


So then instead of just biting the bullet, cleaning off the stamp and starting all over, I tried to swirl it around to look like fur! ya right....what a dork I am!

Anyway, I didn't want to change it so there it is in its full force ugh!!

I adhered him on some brown cardstock that was cut out with the scalloped circle nestabilities and then I stamped the teeny weeny little heart around the scallops in Versamark and embossed them in gold embossing powder.

The patterned paper is from Basic Grey and it is called Scarlet's Letter. I am STILL so hung up on Basic Grey it is to the point of being pitiful!! But for heaven's sake they have the most beautiful paper!! And those little 6 x 6 packs make it too easy just to use it all the time!!

I added some brads and ribbon and done!!

Don't you love him.....he is giving you a nut....too cute!! Nichole has done it again!!


Did you know that Basic Grey is coming out with a new line?

It is called "Two Scoops" and it is swirls and pinks and turquoise's (plural?) and dots and plaids and OH MY! I am hyperventilating!!
LOL!

No doubt, I'll be pushing people out of the way just to get some!

That reminds me of the story my mom told me about trying to buy Cabbage Patch dolls for my kids one Christmas when they were just wee tots......


She had to stand in line for hours (her words, not mine) and then when the store clerks wheeled out the Cabbage Patch dolls, my mom had to claw her way from the back of the line all the way to the front and fight at crazy women (just like her I bet!) just to get 3 dolls - now this was 20 years ago, but no doubt my mom could and would still do it!!

And by the way.......my mom is a minister! I think she might have had to say an extra prayer for herself that night!! ROFL!!


I have the best mom in the world- and I would fight you for that! Like mother - like daughter!!

LUCKY ME!

Artsy Fartsy

This is one of those stamps that I say is an "artsy fartsy" stamp!

I bought it because I thought it was cool - sad reason, yes...... But everytime I went to use it, I couldn't figure out HOW to use it.

So when this challenge came up on Splitcoast Stampers, and we could only use Staz-On - I brought it back out, dusted it off, and stamped!

I stamped the images in black Staz-On, on acetate and then adhered it to the designer paper with clear glue dots.

Black is the only color or Staz-on I use, so that made the decision on what color to use pretty darn easy!!

I had just planned on using grey paper as the background, but I cut it too small - WHAT??!! - and ended up taking out my DCWV Old World Stack paper and using it. I like it better!! I - Funny how that works.

Main stamp is from Inkadinkado and is called PaperArtsy

Sentiment is A Muse Artstamps

Corner stamp is from Technique Tuesday - Postcards from Paris

My dog has to go and have her SECOND shot for rabies! Okay, tell me, when did they start having 2 shots......whatever happened to just once a year going and having a rabies shot......now it is a set of two shots 6 weeks apart. And it cost $45 each time.

Geeeez......it's a racket I tell you ---a RACKET..... LOL!!

Gotta go!

LUCKY ME!!

My VERY VERY VERY last Christmas Card.......

This IS my very last Christmas card.....but I had to make this one because all the stuff from my Paper Pretties card-in-a-box arrived the other day.....so I was FORCED to do another one.....but THIS IS IT!!!

This is from the November card-in-a-box.

They shipped out the actual stamp which was Wreathabella (a little cutie-patootie) ages ago - but were unable to send the rest of the items because they were waiting on some paper that was back-ordered.

So it showed up the other day YAY! and I put together this sweethearat of a card. It is such a cinch because it comes precut and pre-measured and everything is included! - well except the sentiment, but then that gives you some lee way to make it your own...perfect! Really there is NO THINKING INVOLVED!

The stamp used is, of course, Wreathabella from Stamping Bella and she is a sassy little girl!!

The instructions also list the items included, which is great for me because now I can tell you the everthing used!

Paper Salon Dazzle snowflake paper large and small

Bazill Pear Crush (card), Bazill Passionate (large circle) and Bazill Icy Blue (backing)

American crafts green grosgrain ribbon

and Swarovski crystals!! How cool is that!!

So now that I have made one card I can either make 5 more exactly like it or change it up to make it my own design! Cool, Eh?!

Now, I hope December's card-in-a-box comes before the end of December - that stamp is Snowbunnybella! Too Cute!

Well, I do have some new stamps to play with. My ever luvvin' mail lady dropped off Papertrey Ink stamps this morning!! woohoo!!

Limitless Labels

My Punny Valentine

and Year-Round Puns

LUCKY ME!

I zigged when I should have zagged.....

Oh ya, I zigged when I should have zagged!! LOL!!

I sewed again and I am sew far not doing sew bad!

Well, you can see how "well" I did on this Hanna card.......

The top left hand corner of the Hanna panel kind of got off track....I think that is probably what Hanna is looking at. I imagine she is thinking "Holy cow......please DON'T get any closer!...." LOL!

This Hanna stamp set is called "Rain Day" and she is so darn cute! as are all the Hanna stamp sets.

I stamped her on white cardstock from Papertrey Ink (ya KNOW I luv it!)

Then I restamped her on designer paper-I bought this pack at a garage sale, so I don't have a CLUE what kind it is. It was just a bunch of 8 x 8 sheets, which I LUV! because sometimes 6 x 6 are too darn small!

Anywhooo, then I cut out her ever-luvin' coat and boots from the DP and glued them on to the stamped image on the white cardstock.

My copics were great because I had the colors I needed that matched this card - sometimes I don't have match ups, since I only have the FIRST set of 72 copic ciao markers and I really want the SECOND set of 72 (what a baby eh?) ROFL!!

This is where I purchased my copics, a place called Oozak Online, at a fantastic price, AND I got them within a week which was fantastic shipping!!!

All That Scraps also has the Ciao markers and she sells them in sets AND individually, so that would be a fantastic way to get collecting!

My Favorite Things sells the Copic Ciao in sets also, and her price is good too, PLUS you could grab some stamps while you are there!! You can't go wrong.... LOL!

I am sure there are a lot of places that sell them but those are the sites I usually stalk.....er.....shop.

Man, I can gab!

Okay, I colored her up and glued her to the same paper I stamped her boots on. Then I thought it looked a little empty, so I sewed HER up, along with the background DP and I sewed right OVER the ribbon!! I felt VERY powerful doing that......

The green ribbon is from Wal-mart and it is called Offray ribbon, a very pretty silky satin ribbon, that ties very nicely - Now if I MUST go to Walmart, I stalk the ribbon aisle for bar-goons, and I usually see some and I grab some ribbon also.......... pfththth!! I must be having a chocolate high.....

Woo hoo!! LUCKY ME!!

Flower Power

I think we are all a little bored with making Christmas cards so I switched themes and went with springtime and flowers!! YAY!! I can hardly wait! ROFL!



This card was done for the sketch challenge on Splitcoast Stampers.



Since, it is the day after Christmas, they went easy on us and just had a simple card with a circle on it, but the circle had to be cut off at the top.


I had a heck of a time doing that AND having a decent image in the middle but I guess I did manage.


The white cardstock is from Papertrey Ink. It is by far the best in my opinion and so very sturdy being 110 lb weight. Talking about paper weight used to be a whole other language for me a few months ago.....but now I know.....that is GOOD!! LOL!!


I was kind of fooling around with my new stamp set from Papertrey Ink called "Text Boxed", and stamped a whole lot of the same image in Paper Salon's ink "Petal", on top of each other.


I thought that would be an interesting background, so I used it for this sketch challenge.


Then I took Autumn Leaves "Flower Trio" single stamp by Rhonna Farrer that I got at Scrappin' Great Deals and stamped it on top of the Text Boxed images. I used Brilliance "Pearlescent Orchid" to stamp that image.


The image was adhered to pink cardstock and the whole thing was glued to the white background and done.


It really was easy except I kept cutting off the image. Finally I cut the circle first and THEN stamped! LOL! Sometimes it takes awhile to sink in to this old bean!! LOL!


Anyway, I am off to bed.....we have a little treat tonight....our 14 month old grandson is staying with us overnight.....he is just learning to walk so tonight he just kept going back and forth and back and forth, all the while looking like a drunk little grandpa.....hee hee!


I'm whipped!! LOL!!


LUCKY ME!!

After the party.......

Ahhhhh, the family has all gone home and now comes the best part (ya right)..... the cleaning up....

Just thought I would show you a couple of pictures of my "stuff"......while I am sitting here eating moose tracks (fruit loops, shreddies, pretzels, peanuts and M&Ms covered smothered in white chocolate.

No matter that it is 10:30 in the morning.

I am trying to cleanup and I don't know what to do with this bowl of tracks.....therefore.....

My son got me this creating Keepsakes book "The Ultimate Guide to Photo Keepsakes" I haven't had a chance to sit down and take a good look.....but doesn't it look promising? ummm......

And my frogs which were highly decorated for Christmas and my daughter thinks are ugly, however, I believe there is something rather sweet about them.....probably the fact that they remind me of when I exercise and I can appreciate the contortions that they are putting themselves through (I do, however, find the smiling a little hard to believe!)

I think I might be able to sneak into the stamping room later today......YAY!

LUCKY ME!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

To all the many readers out there who diligently slog through

my blog (almost!) every day, I thank you for your many kind

comments and well wishes since I

started this journey.

It is you who truly inspire me to strive

to make my creations

the best that they can be!

I wish you the

Merriest of Christmas's

and the most

Happiest New Year of all!

Gift Card CD Holder

I was in Golftown the other day and saw these funky gift card holders......so of course I had to buy some to see if I could alter them.


I have to say that I wandered around a bit - I was in a GOLF store after all!! LOL!! Anyone that knows me would wonder why I was thinking stamping when I was surrounded by all those delicious looking golf items!! YUM!


I wondered about buying the gift card tins for awhile because I am not one to alter things or to make anything too much, other than cards.



I really thought - would I really use them? Would I really try to alter them, or would they just sit in the closet? Then I thought (again), oh well, they might as well sit in there with the other stuff I am "going to use someday"......... LOL!!


I didn't know what to get my nieces as I don't see them very often and I really don't know their tastes. They are 10 and 12 and besides Hannah Montana, (is she a singer?) I know nothing that appeals to that age!


Gift certificates are an easy way out and are greeted with more enthusiasm than if I guessed at something!!....so that is the route I went this year.



I traced around the lid on DCWV paper, cut it out and glued it on. Then I took some sandpaper and sanded it down so the edges wouldn't catch on anything.


Ribbon was glued to the underside of the lid and wrapped around to the other underside (make sense?) and glued. I bought this ribbon at Costco last week - $22 - a whole box of it - 480 feet. There are 40 rolls of ribbon - all patterned - one side. That makes 12 feet of ribbon on each roll - no kidding. That works out to about 4 1/2 cents a foot. I snatched it up.

I cut out scalloped circles in the colors that I thought matched the DCWV paper, and glued them together.


Papertrey's Trajan Monogram stamps came in handy for this project and I stamped on her initial. Then I took one of the little "tidbit" (that is what I call them - but maybe I heard them called that somewhere) stamps from Take a Bough and stamped it around the scallops.


Now my acrylic block is a little dirty, so instead of cleaning it and then stamping around the scallops, I stamped it while trying to peer through the dirty block, tongue sideways, grimacing - not a good idea!! They came out a little wonky....but of course I was doing this while hubby was going out the door to the car for our Christmas today so I had to RUSH! I HATE THAT!!!!!


So I glued everything together, cut another piece of ribbon and tucked it under and tied a knot....then finished.


Pretty easy when all was said and done - easier if you weren't rushed. Much easier by shopping before-hand and making your creation waaaaaaaaayy before it is needed!!!



My dog is barking her head off at the ball she stuck under the buffet and can't get to. This is a routine. Every morning and every night she puts the ball under the buffet and barks at it to comes out. Every morning and every night, I gruntily (if you heard me doing this, you would agree - that's a word) get down on my hands and knees and stick my arm under the buffet and get that ball and put it up until she barks and barks to get it back.



Now who runs this house.



LUCKY ME!!

My Stamping Area.......

Well, here is my work area in all its glory mess! I actually straightened up a bit of it and then I thought, "Wait a minute, I won't be able to find anything!" LOL! so I stopped immediately..... This is actually after a rather hected stamping day. I am trying to finish up a Breast Cancer Album for a friend who walked in the 60 K last September. She is going to forget what it is all about if I don't get it done!! LOL!

I LOVE this suitcase thingy!! This is where I store stuff....isn't is the coolest!! My ribbon is in the top drawer, although I may have to steal the second drawer which is stamp pads. Third drawer is fastenator stuff - may switch that for more ribbon stuff --fourth drawer is empty and fifth drawer is adhesive storage - you know adhesive, glue dots, tac strips, velcro etc.

I thought I would show you where I work....mostly because when I see people stamping rooms on their blogs they are usually so neat and tidy and I think, "am I the only slob??!!". I mean I would love to "create" (if that is what I really do- LOL!) in a nice clean area all the time.....but with me....it is not feasible.....or possible......

This is where I store my brads, eyelets, buttons, baubles - you name it - anything tiny enough to fit up someone's nose (yep- I have a grandson!!) - it goes in here.

It is a wonderful little storage cube that I got from R & R Scrapbooking, back when I used to make jewelry. When you go to their site, go to store and then BEST storage products. They are kind of expensive but it works great for all the little things and I know right where to go to get a brad or whatever!

This is where I store my acrylic stamps. They are all on plastic CD holders that I bought at a surplus store for $3 for a pack of 10 CD holders. You have to take out all the insides but that only takes a second. I bought the little wire CD holders at Home Depot for $3 each and they hold 25 sets of stamps each. As you can see 2 are full and the other one is going to be started soon....(more Papertrey on the way - YAY!!)

Some of my wood mounted stamps I have stored in those green cloth cubes on the top shelf. They hold quite a few stamps. The rest are in another room up on the wall balanced on some shelving the hubby put up for me....isn't he sweet??!

I probably won't be stamping {*ugh} this week, because I am having hubby's family on Christmas day, going to a Christmas tomorrow and also on Thursday.......so many Christmas's.

Honestly, it is wonderful to have family that loves to get together, but somewhere, in the back of my head, a little voice is saying " you are about to crack up".....so I may have to pace myself... LOL!

My salvation, today was from my daughter who volunteered to have Christmas breakfast at her and her hubby's house.

We have always had a Christmas tradition of breakfast at our house for a few years now. An all out feast - scrambled eggs, bacon, muffins, fruit salad, mimosas (champagne and orange juice...... yum!!) and hubby and Marcie's hubby have always cooked and cleaned up the mess! What better gift can one have!!??

But this year, with us having the FULL family here, it was just too much for my little pee-brain.......um- maybe that is pea-brain... phtthhtt.... so Marcie offered to have us over there!! Thank you Marcie and Jared!! Love you tons!!

When I was thinking of setting the table for Christmas,I stole an idea from my mom's the other night......to put Ferrero Rocher chocolates in my huge red martini glass and set it on the table with other stuff with the lovely golden wrapped chocolates kind of tumbling onto my white tablecloth....so no big deal right.

Wrong.

After emptying out those lovely golden wrapped chocolates, I looked at the container and said "HEY!! MY STICKLES COULD FIT IN THERE!!!"

And hubby said "where are you goin?? what in the hell are stickles?? (poor soul)

See!! They fit so nicely......So the most exciting part is.....that if I get more stickles - I mean when I get more stickles - I have to also buy another little container of Ferrero Roche Chocolates!

LUCKY ME!

Sorry this is so long today......I'm thinking TOO MANY CHOCOLATES!!!

Baggit!

Just a quick post, because I am going to fight the masses again.....and go grocery shopping (yuck) .

I detest grocery shopping, well not the actual shopping, but the unloading and putting away. I actually hate putting things away but if I ask for help, and receive help, then I never know where anything went, and at this time of year I WANT TO KNOW where everything is!!


This cute little bag was made for the Ways to Use it Challenge. It was called Wrap it Up and we had to use any type of wrapping for our project. Of course I didn't read the part about being able to use actual wrapping paper and I have the sweetest little Christmas paper.....but oh well....I did use real curling ribbon for the handles, so that counts!



I sewed again!!! I love it! That little Janome pretty much sews itself.....you can kind of see it in the background but I did crop it out.



I just zig-zagged along with DCWV Christmas Glitter Pack paper. I made the strips so they would get bigger as you go from top to bottom.


I put Making Memories Christmas buttons on one of the panels and doubled them up so there would be a little heighth.....those buttons are too cute! I have a bunch of them in the flowers too. They are kind of a vinyl with paper attached to the back and you just glue them on.


Actually, I'm a dork because I thought they were self adhesive and I wrecked about three buttons trying to rip the back off to get to the adhesive----then I clued in!!


I stamped a tag from a $ store stamp and glittered it all up with STICKLES..... Luv 'em!


I used real curling ribbon and cut and tied and cut and tied and cut and tied and cut and ....well- you get the idea!

And done!

Now - CHARGE!!! TO THE GROCERY STORE!!

LUCKY ME!!

Clucker Joy...

I have been shopping and spending lots of money these past couple of days....and not on myself either - and I know that's what you were thinking.....!!

I did see so much that I wanted {*sigh}!


I have fallen behind on the challenges over at Splitcoast Stampers.

It is quite a challenge in itself to do one of these everyday!

Man, my stamp room is such a freaking cluttered mess that I always have to pick things up BEFORE I can start doing anything!! LOL!

Yesterday's challenge was a sketch challenge. You can see it here. It was a bit different being as it has 5 circles that had to stay on the rectangle. They didn't have to be circles, but there had to be five in that space.

I decided to have the word JOY with 2 images in the background. The word JOY is stamped with Papertrey Ink Trajan Monogram set in Dew Drop Pesto ink.


This whole card except for the 3 circles with J-O-Y on it (that is Papertrey Ink cardstock-FAB!), was made with Basic Grey Figgy Pudding and I am closing in on the end of my Figgy Pudding paper. I will miss it dearly (good grief). There were a lot of cards and altered items made with that paper.....it was great!


My ribbon is called So-Facile and I bought it from my "sort-of-$-store" - Mrs A's General Store. She had ribbon on for .59 a roll so I bought a ton!
I actually finally figured out my nestabilites also. You would think with the proper directions that I had, I would be able to figure out the embossing on those things.

Nichole Heady over at Papertrey Ink shares some absolutely fantastic tutorials on just about everything possible in her blog {capture the moment}.

When you visit her blog, look down the left hand side and there are a passle of tutorials, including the nestabilities and HOW TO USE THEM! The one you want -well you want to read them all but the one I want you to read is called "Embossed Card Front with Nestabilities". At the bottom of that page, she tells you (me) how to use them in specific machines including Cuttlebug, which is what I have. A fantastic tutorial!

The only thing is, I could never get the nice crisp embossing that she seems to get.

Now, I did get a faint line but not what I was looking for. Nichole has a photo tutorial and she gets a beautiful embossed look. (I am sounding whiny - MOMMMMMMM!!)


Well, finally tonight I switched it up and when I went to cut the paper in the die I just placed an extra two pieces of cardstock on top of the B plate and I got it to cut and emboss very nicely.


Now, believe me, I am NOT AN EXPERT, so if you are going to try this, do it on scrap paper first. Some machines have different pressures on them and I think mine just wouldn't respond to the way Nichole does it.

So try it both ways and see what works best for you.


I put a little golden poinsetta on the "J" and that is just from some Christmas confetti that I bought to sprinkle on my white tablecloth at our Christmas dinner! The lasagna stains and that confetti will look marvellous! LOL!!

Have to go load up on more candy so I don't get cold during the winter months!!

LUCKY ME!!

Today's Color Combo Challenge.....

Today's Color Combination Challenge was So Saffron, Wild Wasabi and Elegant Eggplant. I'm not a Stamping Up person, but I am beginning to recognize what the names of the colors are. I don't have the proper shades but I guessed at them and I think I got it pretty close.


I 'm not sure I would ever use these particular colors in a Christmas Card but hey! I'm not the challenge lady person and this is the CHALLENGE - figure out how to use these colors!!


The background is Prism Metallic Cardstock - "Fit for a Queen" -very appropriate!! It is so pretty because it has a real sheen to it. I don't know if you can really see it too well in the photo....


The image is from Wordsworth or Rubber Soul. They are both from the same company so one could argue that it is Wordsworth or one could argue that it is Rubber Soul. Both would be right!! LOL!


I colored them with copics and doodled around the edges like I have been doing lately. I did that awhile ago and then quit, but I quite like the appearance of it!



The Artful Stamper makes the "white perfect puff" that I used to trim the little lady's dress and hat.


I finished it off with some ribbon and Prima flowers called "got flowers' and "mini me" and a brad.


Well, we started our Christmas celebrations tonight at my mom's. It was the first one. We have another on Sunday, one on Monday and a big one that I am hosting on Tuesday.....then I hope it is over.

What a way to enjoy Christmas. I think I am a bit of a "bah humbugger" this year! LOL! sorry about that! It slipped out......


For our Christmas on Christmas day, we are having lasagna!! I don't want the messiness of a turkey and when we have so many Christmas' beforehand, surely we will have turkey somewhere (I hope) I just don't want the turkey to be at my place!!


My mom even had meatloaf tonight!!


They have been in Florida for November and she said they bar-b-qued down there all the time and didn't have any comfort foods so had to come home and make meat loaf to feel comforted!! I kept thinking that I could maybe have felt comforted down in Florida instead of up here in Southern Ontario where we have 6 -8 inches of snow and it is bloody cold!!


Wouldn't that be funny if no one had turkey and then I would be stuck with no turkey during Christmas season.......oh my.....that would serve me right!!


Off to wrap more gifts!!


LUCKY ME!

Attention all SBS members!!

I copied and pasted this from Tracy at Sunny Delights blog

"ATTN all SBS members: the SBS Cafe' is Now Open It's finally here! For all you sisters interested in SBS-sponsored challenges, RAKs, swaps, and more...please visit the new SBS Cafe that Tracy set up. It will be a supa fun place to hang out and grow together. Group admins will be able to post there, and we'll be able to keep the original SBS blog clutter free for our fellow stamping and blogging sisters to sign up.Go check it out now! http://www.thesbscafe.wordpress.com/"

I have not checked it out yet because blogger is being a pain in the arse today, I can only post some comments and not others....ARGGHHHH!! and can't link to anything --GEEEZ LOUISE!!!!!

My Favorite Things Challenge

Well, we are so snowed in here in Southern Ontario that I was able to spend time in my stamping room!! YAY!

I cruised around SCS and found the sketch challenge from My Favorite Things. I have just started doing challenges and they are so fun! There is no pressure, if you want to do it great! if you don't - no big deal! But I'm telling you...it is fun.....!

I used the stamp set Hearts Galore my My Favorite Things. I colored it with copics, adhered it to an oval cut out nestabilities,and then paper pierced around the scallops for a cute little effect!

I used the hearts cuttlebug folder for the pink crossways panel and then I took some sandpaper and distressed it a bit. That kind of paper has a white inside so it is really easy to do!

Patterned paper is Karen Neuburger Serenity - glitter blossom - isn't it pretty?

The sentiment is also from My Favorite Things stampset Hearts Galore, but I just stamped the last line of the "Roses are Red" poem.

I didn't want the whole thing on there and the last line seemed very appropriate!

The edges were distressed on that with the Heidi Swapp edge distresser. You know, there is no de-stressing to distressing. That little piece of paper ripped twice, so I had to re-do it again. The edge destresser is not hard to use at all, just that piece of paper was hard to distress and hold on to it at the same time!

I popped up the stamped image with dimensionals and added 3 little white heart brads from Making Memories.

Ready for Valentine's Day!!

LUCKY ME!!

Diplomabella Challenge.....

We are soooo snowed in around here.....my poor puppy went outside to pee and when she jumped off the step she went under the snow!! She managed to back up the steps and came back in.....but then of course she still had to pee, so out she went and squeezed in behind the bushes at the side of the house....and I am presuming she did her thing back there...... I didn't follow her to check!! LOL!! It's freakin' crazy out there!


We can't get out to go anywhere or do anything.....there is too much snow even to toboggan.....hubby got his 4-wheeler stuck so he is soooo pouty.....on his birthday no less!! So I cruised around SCS and found a couple of challenges....one from Stamping Bella and one from My Favorite Things.

The Stamping Bella challenge was a color challenge and the colors were pink, black and sky blue. You can see the gallery here.

No offense at all to Stamping Up, but I was happy that they weren't Stamping Up colors because I never know what color they really are. I am not Stamping Up - although I LOVE their products - so the names of some of those colors - whew!

This cute little girly is Diplomabella. I colored her gown black and her boots and chest ribbon thingy (what is that really called?!) my version of sky blue.

I cut her out so that the bottom of her was FREE!!! I wanted it to look like she was against a blackboard...I think it does....

I adhered her to pink and black cardstock cut out with my rectangle scalloped nestabilites.

The black cardstock has sky blue ribbon wrapped around it. Well, it was white ribbon but I colored it with my Copics so it was all good.

Copics are so great for coloring ribbon! You need to wait about 15 minutes for it to dry and it will make your ribbon a bit stiffer, so take that into consideration if (when) you do it! Try it!!

The sentiment is from Autumn Leaves "Ledger Tabs" stamp set and the two little doo-dads on either side of the Ledger Tab are from Papertrey Ink "Faux Ribbon" stamp set.

Geez, my puppy wants out again so I have to go and make sure she doesn't drown out there!!

LUCKY ME!!

I've Been Tagged.......

Yes, I've been tagged - and I want to thank my dear, dear, dear, friend SBS sister Aimee! who was gracious enough to comment on my blog, and then tagged and ran...... :)


I mean who ever thought this game up really has too much time on their hands...........Okay, I am grumbling, but actually in secret

I am thrilled to be tagged!! because it means that someone thinks enough of me to do that to me ....er....for me!



These are the rules of the game:


Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.

Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog, we all want to know them.

Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

Let each person know that they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.


Okay, here are my 7 random facts about me!



1 - The meaning behind the name "The Lucky Clucker" is that on October 25, 1995, I had a liver transplant due to a condition called sarcoidosis which usually attacks the lungs but on me it got my liver. Every day is a blessing and everyday I thank God for my new chance at life! So I am not really Lucky - more Blessed - but "The Lucky Clucker" sounded better......


2 - I was hypnotized to lose weight - yep - last January my hubby and I said enough is enough and we went to a hypnotist - I have lost 30 lbs and he has lost 35 lbs. So it works!!


3 - I love licorice allsorts - not the cheap kind either - has to be the best - and I can tell the difference......


4 - Okay, this one might be obvious but I am obsessed with chickens! I was collecting chicken "stuff" before there was "chicken stuff" to collect.....


5 - I married my high school sweetheart! I know a lot of you have. We met when I moved here in Grade 10 from Woodstock, Ontario. I used to sit with him in the back seat on the school bus (the bus driver lady would yell at us from time to time.... hee hee)


6 - I love to curl - no, not my hair - but on the ice competitively! Some of you may know what curling is and NO! IT IS NOT BORING! HMPH....in the words of Stamping Bella


7 - I am VERY competitive....I will deny it but if I play a game of Scrabble, or golf, or CURL with you....I really do hope that you do well and have fun, but make no mistake --I am secretly hoping that I win.....sorry about that.


So there it is.....seven facts that I am mostly proud of...some not so much....!



Now to tag others.....I don't know if you have time or not but consider yourself tagged....



Samantha

Mel

AnnMarie

Mommy Magallanes

Alex

Em



Yes this is only six so if somebody wants to step up....go ahead!! LOL!


Off to play in the snow! Snow!! SNOW!!!


LUCKY ME!!

Crazy for Paisley!

Today's challenge on SCS was an Inspiration Challenge, the idea this week being to look at the picture and get some sort of inspiration.

Well, I took one look at the picture which is here, and I LOVED IT!!

Oh my goodness, I could have jumped through my computer and hugged that dish set.
It is freakin' beautiful!!!.....however, I am guessing that I am just going to have to settle for being inspired by it......hmph.....(as Stamping Bella would say)


Paisley, Paisley PAISLEY!! I chose to be inspired by the paisley.

I have loved paisley since my mom made me a midi (calf length) skirt out of purple paisley when I was 15 years old- no kidding!!

I wore it when she married my step-dad....there should even be a picture around somewhere, I mean it WAS a wedding.....if I can find one I will post it.

I also remember wrecking it later by trying to hem it up myself to a mini skirt. The hem looked like TOILET PAPER ROLLS had been stuffed all around it!! .......ROFL!!!.....I never could sew!!

Anyway, I stamped Technique Tuesday, Crazy for Paisley all over Papertrey Ink white cardstock, and trimmed it to 4" x 5 1/4", just a 1/4" smaller than card size - so I could mount it on MORE cardstock....

I colored the background with copics and then the paisley's (if that is a word) with what I thought was inspiring!!

I cut out the scalloped circles with my nestabilites and stamped the "B" for Bonnie (me) with Papertrey Ink Trajan Monogram, and surrounded it with Papertrey Ink Border and Corners - Circle.

There is ALWAYS the question on Papertrey Ink "What is the proper initial to use for a monogram? First or last initial?"

After doing a bit of research, I found that "The Monogram Page" says in essence, that any one of the initials is correct, so, do it whichever dang way you want!! So I chose to use my first initial....

I glued some white ribbon to the paisley paper and attached it to the turquoise cardstock. Then I popped up the scalloped circles and stamped image with dimensionals. I tied another piece of white ribbon around the original ribbon (because I always only glue the ribbon at the back in case I want to add a bow - or half bow - or whatever you call that tie thingy.... phhthh!!)

There was a lot of coloring in this card!! But it turned out quite pretty (and bright!)

It is snowing like the dickens here!! (I think that means it is a LOT of snow) We are supposed to get a BIG storm in southern Ontario so hopefully we can dig out and get to church in the morning.

This time of year our church is at 11:30 am so they MAY have the roads cleared out by then. Our church is part of a 3-point charge, which means that our minister has 3 churches to preach in every Sunday.....she does a lot of driving - AND talking!! 9:00 am, 10:15 am, and 11:30 am. Only fifteen minutes of (probably nutso) driving in between each service!!

Off to watch the snow come down!!


LUCKY ME!!

Pink Cat Studio.....

I have finally finished making Christmas card!! Whew!



Now I can get down to other cards.....I have done a few for the challenges over on SCS....they are great because you can do them at anytime, and there is no one hour rush to get them done.



You feel like you at least can do a once over with them to see that they don't have anything hanging from them!! LOL!!



This stamp is from Pink Cat Studio - Garden Plate #1. I have had these stamps for quite awhile....just haven't had the chance to use them.! (dang Christmas cards anyway!)



I had ordered the grab bag of 30 stamps from Pink Cat Studio and received them the next week and they are so great!! A real mixed bag.....no pun intended!! LOL!!


I popped up the flowers as you can see and then added one at the bottom for some interest!


Paper is Basic Grey- Pheobe,
base of card of Papertrey Ink cardstock
colored with copics and sakura glitter pen


I SEWED with my new Janome sewing machine......I grabbed black thread......all I could find in a hurry!!


Sorry about the short post....but I gotta run to the Papertrey Ink release party!!


LUCKY ME!!

Thursday's Sketch Challenge

I did a sketch challenge for today.....I like the bella but not so fond of the way I did the sketch.

You know how it takes a little while to look at the card and say "Crap! I should have done that!!" -

well - "Crap! I might have layered the background more" LOL!

I was concentrating on the sketch so much I just did it-ahhh-not so bad!



The gallery for this particular challenge is here on Splitcoast Stampers

There are sooo many beautiful cards! Some awesome talent over there for sure!!


I stamped Balloonabella on Papertrey Ink cardstock and colored her with copics.


Her pretty blingy balloons are done with Xmas red stickles for a bunch of sparkle!! The dang stickles kept gumming up so after squeezing and poking and cursing......I ended up with 3-D balloons!! LOL!!



I cut out the Doodlebug Designs Inc. Sugarcoated paper with my nestabilities and adhered it to the background which is Basic Grey Scarlets Letter.



The doodled hearts are from My Favorite Things "Hearts Galore" stamp set.


I doodled around the edges of both images, popped up the hearts and it was done!


I am tired tonight....went Christmas shopping yesterday in London (Ontario) and then again today with hubby!


Why don't all those crazy Christmas shoppers stay at home and let us do our thing! ROFL!!

They were probably thinking worse than that about us!

There we were, two lost souls (and I mean really lost in that huge mall....) wandering around with our eyes glazing over......maybe that was tears from the Visa bill!! Aww...it is all fun.....

Off to bed!


LUCKY ME!!

Ways to use it!!

Well, I decided NOT to be outdone by these challenges......no WAY!.. ..you will remember the chocolate strawberry fiasco.....(although some were very kind about THAT one....and I thank you-LOL!!)


Thursday's challenge on Splitcoast Stampers is "Ways to Use It" and today it was try to find ways to use monochromatic colors hosted by Julia Stainton. If you want to find all the samples they are listed under WT144.


I found this particular challenge not too bad because I LOVE PINK!! so I have 10,000 colors of pink in my stash of "stuff" (honestly - 10,000!)

The REAL challenge was to find some pinks (in ALL those pinks) to go together!!


Well, it just so happened that yesterday I was in London (Ontario) Christmas shopping -oh yes, I waded through the shoppers, drove around the masses, and racked up a VISA bill (again)!! LOL!! The perils of Christmas shopping!!


I digress.......I needed some soothing after that crazy day....so I stopped off in Lambeth at "Memories on Main Street" and bought some Versacolor Old Rose ink, so I was able to use that and not have to dig too much!! yippee-doo!


I stamped the ice cream from Lizzie Anne designs "Little Bits" stamp set on Papertrey Ink white cardstock. My new Versacolor Old Rose ink came in handy and I only stamped the ice cream.

The cone was done in DewDrop Brilliance - crimson copper. I colored them with my copics and mounted it on a pinky salmon piece of cardstock I had in my cardstock drawer.


My background paper is from DCWV Wedding Prints Paper Stack. I divided it with American Crafts elements ribbon and tied a bow.

The image was popped on with dimensionals, and I stamped Hanna stamps "But I need it" in Versacolor Old Rose on the bottom of the card......and done.


Quite monochromatic if I do say so...okay for heaven's sake -the BIGGEST challenge is spelling monochromatic over and OVER!! GEEZ!

After using pinks and salmons....I am on to make some balsamic salmon for supper!

LUCKY ME!!

Huggybellas.....

In honor of the Bella ball, I threw together a card with Huggybellas......


I think that this is Emily from Stamping Bella on the left with her curly black hair (I don't really know, I keep thinking I saw a picture of her somewhere , either that or that is just how I picture her when I stalk her blog!!) and on the right are all her fans rolled into one luv-e-ly Bella!! and we are hugging each other so tight because we all LUVEY the Bellas!! LOL!


This card was sooooo easy because, thanks to Paper Pretties, I already had everything all measured and cut for me!!


I belong to the Paper Pretties monthly card-in-a-box club and it is sooooo COOL!!


Every month you receive enough supplies to make six (6) cards!! Enough cardstock, enough designer paper, enough ribbon, buttons, brads -whatever it takes to finish the card for that month!!



Everything is all cut and trimmed for you! PERFECT! The instructions are also included and the BEST PART ---THE STAMP IS INCLUDED!!


Huggybella was NOT one of the stamps of the month - I already had them!

But I did sign up for a Stamping Bella stamp --so every month I get a new Stamping Bella stamp - and all supplies and instructions to make 6 cards!!


October was Expectafellabella!

November's stamp was Wreathabella!

The stamp for December is Snowbunny Bella! Woo Hoo!

January's Bella is the Sweetiebella!!

I can't remember February??!!

Why don't you sign up and find out??!!


One of the best parts is, when you sign up to be a member, you can shop at the Paper Pretties store and everything is 10% off!


Well, you can shop at the Paper Pretties store anytime, you just don't get the discount.

Check it out! Christie has great stamps, embellishments, paper - everything you need!! and I mean everything!!

and it was just announced on Saturday that March's Bella is Savvy Shopabella!! which kind of sucks because I just ordered it during the Bella Ball! crap.....that'll teach me!! LOL!! (probably not)



Well, the only thing I can do in March is to give out some blog candy!!
I better not wait until March, I will have to do it before that too.....I think 5,000 hits is a good number. We still have a ways to go for that!!LOL!



Paper Pretties has all sorts of sign up stamp clubs. There is Stamping Bella, My Favorite Things, Rubber Romance and now Christie has started a Copic Club and a Nestabilities Club. I mean how cool is that??!



The supplies used for this card were left overs from the very first box I received! If memory serves correctly (it has been known to fail ya know) it is Crate Paper DP, $ store heart brads and the "BFF" is from one of the very first stamp sets I owned - LONG ago, so I don't remember (see what I mean!) what set it is.


If someone knows, please send me a message!! Thanks!

Off to watch the last Big Break of the season......golf for anyone wondering!!!


LUCKY ME!!

Copics Goof-up....

Okay this is a post about what not to do with your copics and probably stamping in general.....



Please, it is best to use waterproof or watercolor (I think that is what you call it - better check first) paper as you can see in this card sample I did for the Featured Stamper of the Week on Splitcoast Stampers.



This weeks Featured Stamper of the week is Charlene of LilLuvsStampin.


I based my card on this card of hers which I think I might have goofed up on the challenge because she used buttons and I used baubles from Stamping Bella, but oh well.....SCS police...here I am !!!!



I finally did a challenge and it turned out crappy, only because I didn't use watercolor paper - it turned into kind of a blob! The copics got away from meeee.......



I posted it anyway, because I wanted to get going on the challenges, and everyone goofs up on a card once in a while.....



The stamp is from Pink Cat Studio "Sweet Treats". ---a beautiful strawberry covered in chocolate is what it should be.....but I stamped it on a scrap piece of paper that I thought was waterproof, but as you can clearly see, was not!

Edited to add: the leaf stamp is from Papertrey Ink "Beautiful Blooms"



I'm harping on this point, but if you are using markers and don't want feathering or bleeding or running-whatever you want to call it (a mess LOL!!) then use the proper paper.




I usually always use Papertrey Ink cardstock and it works just fine but it is thick and maybe you wouldn't want to use that thick of a paper. I use it because it stamps great and doesn't bleed, feather, run --blah blah blah!



That designer paper is "Infuse" from Basic Grey and it goes so pretty with the strawberry blob LOL!



Off to take my daughter to math class and I get to shop and fight the crowds for 2 hours.......however I just learned of a store in the mall that is starting to carry Copics! Woo Hoo!!


Have to CHECK THAT OUT!!




LUCKY ME!!

"Can You Read Between the Loads" or "3 Sheets to the Wind"

Yes, this is the reason why I am not blogging today.......

So far I have done this much..........

and I still have this much more to do...... (yes, sadly those are my granny panties......)

Now, some of you may say "BIG DEAL!! I have 17 kids that I do laundry for", and I cheer you (and not the TIDE kind) I really do, but I only have 3 people that LIVE in this house....

where in the "H - E - double hockey sticks" does all that laundry come from!! *&%#%*%&*?? excuse me...

I suppose it could be that I didn't do any of it because I was "creating" for that stupid bazaar on Saturday!! AHA!! That was it!! We made $42.50..... It makes you just want to pack it in and say....phhhhth!

Anyway, discouragement is my rant (whine) today.....thanks for listening.....I need to go and put my head back in the washing machine!

OH LUCKY ME!!