Bring It!

I love From the Heart images/stamps - and the birdbrain ones are some of my favorites! Oh, who am I kidding, choosing favorites is so hard because ALL of the images they have are fabulous! Wouldn't you agree?

See what I mean? 

Don't you just love the "No Snow Birdbrain"???

And this time of year I am so over summer. I'm ready to move on. (I will miss the tomatoes, but I'm tired of the heat and the bugs and the heavy air.) *gasp! Please don't hate me.

And yes, bring on some snow. I'm ready for it!

Here's the inside of my card:

And since confession is good for the soul - Sheesh! I already confessed that I'm ready for summer to get over, I guess it can't hurt to confess some more things. Confession #2 - I have decided to apply for the design team call at From the Heart... and today IS the deadline. I decided here at the very last minute that I just HAVE to do that.......... because I love From the Heart images so much!

Whew! I almost waited too long to decide to apply, didn't I? Wish me luck!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Image/Sentiment: From the Heart No Snow Birdbrain
Ink: Copic Markers
Cardstock: Recollections Black, Kraft, and White
Designer Paper: from my scrap file
Embellishments: Michael's Sugar Dot and Rhinestones, Oriental Trading Candy Dots, Recollections Snowflake Brad, and Tulip Glitter Glue

Favorite Part of School = Lunch

What was your favorite part of school? For some it was a beloved subject (I absolutely LOVED my Public Speaking class!). For others it was seeing friends. For others it was RECESS! Oh, and some would say it was lunch time (okay, maybe not many would say that, but some did like lunchtime best.)

Brock loved lunch time at school. When he was in High School, the lunch ladies knew what  he would buy every day... and they always had it ready for him. They were pretty incredible!

So, for this week's MelonHeadz Friends Challenge (the theme is Time for School), I chose to use the MelonHeadz Illustrating Dawn's Lunch Ladies bundle to create my card.

Here it is:

Thank you to all the lunch ladies out there. Your job is often thankless, but the Brocks in the world sure appreciate you!

Please join the fun at MelonHeadz Friends!

August 31 - September 13

Theme: Time for School

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Image/Sentiment (on front): MelonHeadz Illustrating Dawn's Lunch Ladies colored with Copic markers
Sentiment (inside): AMuse Studio Essential Sentiments stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink
Cardstock: Recollections Black and Stampin' UP! Cherry Cobbler
Designer Paper: Me & My Big Ideas Mambi Sheets Paper Pad
Embellishments: AMuse Studio Ribbon, Foof-a-La Buttons, and Michael's Sugar Dots

An A+ for Nikki of MelonHeadz Illustrating

I have been so fortunate to have been a part of SEVERAL really incredible design teams over the years! And yes, I do love serving on design teams. Each one is so unique and the opportunities to get to work alongside some great paper-crafters is a real bonus. So here's a little shout out to all my fellow design team members (past and present)! I think you are all pretty incredible.

Speaking of incredible............. Nikki, the owner of MelonHeadz Illustrating is pretty incredible, too.

Yes, I am on the MelonHeadz Friends Challenge design team - so I know first-hand how gracious, kind, and generous Nikki is. Let me give you just one example.

 Each year Nikki adopts a school teacher/class and gives them some pretty awesome gifts. This year it was $100 in school supplies, $50 in graphics from MelonHeadz Illustrating, and monthly gift boxes shipped to the school, because, in Nikki's words "all kids need to know that there are good people in this world that care for them, too."

To enter the giveaway, teachers posted comments to Nikki's blog post HERE. If you have time, I'd encourage you to read some of the comments made by the teachers. So touching... and definitely some tear-jerkers, too. I'm pretty sure Nikki took the time to pray for the needs she read about in those comments. I, too, found myself praying for the teachers who took the time to comment.

About a week later, a teacher was selected (randomly) and received the gifts for her classroom.

Oh, but it doesn't stop there. Nikki announced the winner HERE and she also put two free images (a colored one and a line-drawn one) on the blog post for ALL OF US (so go get yours!). Wasn't that thoughtful of her?!?!?!?

THANK YOU, Nikki for your generosity!

Of course, I had to have the image, too. She's such a cutie!

Here's the card I made with her:

Here's the inside:

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Image: MelonHeadz Illustrating pre-colored freebie found HERE
Sentiment: Annette Allen Watkins "Best Wishes" stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink
Cardstock: Recollections Black and White and Stampin' UP! Taken with Teal
Designer Paper: DCWV My Sunshine Stack
Embellishments: Buttons Galore Buttons and Sequins from an unknown vendor

I'm a Winner!

WOW! Maxine sure surprised me this morning! She's one of the ladies in the Stamp Addicts blog group. THANK YOU, Maxine, for letting me know that I was one of the winners at the Inspiration Destination Challenge! YAY!!!

THANK YOU, Inspiration Destination! And thank you for the PRIZE, Inky Impressions!

If you notice, I rarely enter challenges. Truth is, I usually only do so when I post a One Stitch at a Time card - since they ask their DT members to enter at least 5 challenges. Therefore, I also rarely - very rarely - check to see if I am a winner. So without Maxine's help, I might never have known. LOL! I just figure that if you don't enter them often, the chances of winning are pretty slim.

SURPRISE! 

That just might be a myth......... since I "did" win. (hmmm... I may need to start entering challenges more often.)

If you're interested in seeing my blog post featuring the card, click HERE.

Thanks again, Maxine!

And thank you to all of you who stopped by my blog today!

A CAS Owl

If you were here on my blog yesterday, you saw a card that I made with Roxie's kit (as well as manufacturer information, etc.)

Here is the second card I made with Roxie's kit:

 

It's a very simple card, but I like it! 

Thanks again, Roxie, for a fun kit!

Here's the inside:

Thank you for stopping by my blog today!

An Apple for the Teacher

Roxie sure knows how to put together a fun kit! She was the August hostess for the Baker's Dozen group. Here's what she said:

I have always made back to school cards for my DD and step kids and now for my step grandkids and in Florida where the grandkids live they go back the second week in August, here in Michigan not til after Labor Day (it's the law here). So either way it will be soon. I fell in love with Doodlebugs Back to School paper line that just came out. I love the Owls and the great Washi tape. So my challenge is to make a back to school card for a child or an adult. If not the Owls are cute for a birthday card, etc.

Doodlebug designer paper - Back to School
SU Whisper White cardstock
Ink: Memento black and SU for the blue and red
Lace - SU
Washi tape - Doodlebug - Back to School
Stamps used - The Greeting Farm, CC Designs, & Stamp of Life

Enjoy!


So I did - enjoy, that is! I made two cards. I 'll show you one today and the other one tomorrow.

Card #1

Here's the inside:

Thanks for stopping  by my blog today!

And THANK YOU, Roxie, for a fun kit!

What Has Four Legs?

.... the new One Stitch at a Time Challenge!

Challenge #244 

ANYTHING GOES WITH 4 LEGGED FRIENDS

August 23 - September 5

Sponsor: Stitchy Bear Digital Outlet

Here's the PRIZE package one lucky person will win:

Here's my card:

I tried to do something a little "artsy" - I'm not sure it worked. But I do LOVE the "Boxer" image. It's available in the Stitchy Bear Digital Outlet store - HERE.

I put a little fire hydrant brad inside my card:

I'm entering my card in the following challenges:

Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes
Pattie's Creations - Anything Goes
Simply Create Too - Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes


Thanks for stopping by my blog today!
Now... get busy and create a 4-legged sort of card, and join us at OSAAT!

Image: Stitchy Bear "Boxer" Digi
Cardstock: Recollections Black, Red, Sand, and White
Embellishments: Brads from unknown vendors

I Spot a Birthday!

It's time for a new challenge at Sweet Stampin'...

August 23 - 29 

Theme: Spots or Stripes (or both) 

Sponsor: All Dressed Up

Here's my card:

The sentiment is from My Favorite Things (MFT)

Birthday Chalkboard Greetings

Here's the inside:

Thanks for stopping by my  blog today!
I hope to see you participating in the "Spots and Stripes Challenge" at Sweet Stampin'!

Sentiment: MFT Birthday Chalkboard Greetings
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Cardstock: Recollections Black and Red
Designer Paper: from my scrap file
Embellishments: Michael's Rhinestones

Please Don't Judge Me!

We're friends, right? And "Friends never judge each other... everyone else, however is fair game."

Vickie was the August hostess in Imke's Mystery Image card group and she sent us this fun Art Impressions image and a variety sentiments/quotes to choose from. THANK YOU, Vickie!

Here's the inside of my card:

Thanks for stopping  by my blog today!

I used Recollections black cardstock and Stampin' UP! Pink Passion cardstock as well as scraps of designer paper and Michael's brads to make my card.

You're Sew Loved

Did you come back? Remember I mentioned in yesterday's blog post that you should......... so you could see the second card I made with Kelly's kit. If you missed seeing yesterday's post with Card #1 on it, you can go there by clicking HERE or you can just keep scrolling down a bit to the next blog post.

Here is Card #2:

When my daughter was in college (Blue Mountain College) the young ladies all belonged to societies. These societies were social groups that also participated in service projects, etc. She was a Eunomian. The Eunomian mascot was Raggedy Ann... so this image reminds me of those days - and the many Raggedy Ann cards I've made.

Here's the inside:

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Thanks Sew Much

I ♥ my friend Kelly! She is such an encouragement to me and she always knows just how to make me smile.

She also is a fantastic card-maker and oh-so-creative! Her cardmaking obsession is BUTTONS!

Kelly was the July hostess in the Baker's Dozen card group. I lost the "details" so I can't tell you the manufacturer information of the  things in her kit... but WOW! Let me say it was a fabulous kit! I especially loved the adorable images! And the bright colors! And did I mention the adorable images??!?!?!?

So I made two cards with the kit. I'll show you one today, but you'll have to come back to my blog tomorrow to see the other one.

Card #1

 Oh my goodness... 

didn't I tell you the image is ADORABLE???

Here's the inside of my card:

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Most of the items on this  card were sent to me by Kelly. I did use my own solid blue designer paper and white cardstock for the card base. THANK YOU, Kelly!

School's In Session

School is back in session in my town. I suspect that is the case in a lot of places. It's time to fill the backpacks with school supplies, pick up the stack of school books, and maybe even gather apples for the teacher. So the new challenge at {PIN}Spirational Challenges is perfect.

Challenge #147

 August 18 - 31

Here's the photo to {Pin}Spire us:

The Sponsors for this challenge are:

The Cutting Edge

and

The Stamping Boutique

THANK YOU, Sponsors! We ♥ you!

Here's the card I made:

Image: The Stamping Boutique Back to School House

As you can see, I used  a lot of black on my card, like the photo... and it's school-related.

Here's the inside:

The designer paper resembled a composition book. I left a strip of the black cardstock showing to create the binding of the composition book.


Thanks for stopping by my blog today!
I hope you'll participate in the {PIN}Spirational Challenge!

Image: Stamping Boutique Back to School House
Ink: Copic Markers
Cardstock: Recollections Black and Red
Designer Paper: Carol Wilson Fine Arts "Composition Book"
Embellishments: Michael's Rhinestones

Play Ball!

MelonHeadz Friends has a brand new challenge beginning today.

August 17 - 30

Theme: Hand-Colored Image

So all of you who LOVE to color like I do, pull out your favorite coloring item (Copics, watercolor pencils, etc.) and plan to join this challenge.

Here's the card I made:

I used Copic markers to color the images from the MelonHeadz Illustrating Baseball 2 Bundle.

But I also  just had to have some extra fun with this card. 

So here's the inside:

I thought of my son Brock when I made the card. He loves going to ballgames - for the hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, etc. (He also loves going to movies for the popcorn, too.)

In the summertime he also enjoys playing on a special team that's offered here in our town. (Thank you, Catherine!)

Here's a picture of Brock waiting for the ball to be pitched to him...

 

Hit a home run, Brock!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Images: MelonHeadz Illustrating Baseball 2 Bundle
Ink: Copic Markers
Cardstock: Recollections Black and Sand
Designer Paper: DCWV Boyhood Paper Stack and Paper Studio Popcorn
Embellishments: Foof-a-La Buttons

Welcome to the Neighborhood

My grandmother used to love this saying...

The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.

I wonder if Grandma had had any idea that some day that saying would be my life?

I'm just thankful that I have gracious friends who put up with me... including the ladies of the "Baker's Dozen" card group on SCS.

Every month one of the Baker's Dozen send little kits to the others (with any special directions) and we all get busy and create. That's pretty easy, right? Then why, oh WHY, was I so far behind?!?!?!? I hadn't touched Debby's June kit, Kelly's July kit, or Roxie's August kit. So.......... this week, I got them all out and created some cards.

Today I'm going to show you what I did with Debby's June kit. But first, here's what she said:

Home is my favorite place to be with family and friends...

While cleaning the other day I ran across this 2004 SU Stamp set "Right at Home".

Make one large card from the papers and items enclosed and then make a smaller card or tag with the remaining items.

The white and kraft card stock is from Paper Studio

Papers are from Reflections - Cartulina (dark turquoise) Blue Tn Plaid and Tan Pindots

The Chevron Mini-bags are from Jillibean

The Stamp Set and ink are from Stampin' UP - "Right at Home" printed with Chocolate Chip ink.

I threw in some tiny tags that hopefully you can use.

Enjoy!


Well, yes, Debby, I certainly DID enjoy working with your kit!

Here's the card I made:

Here's the sentiment that is found on the inside:

For my little project, I decided to make a little card that fits inside the little bag. I thought a person could also include a gift card in that little bag if they wanted to.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Debby, thank you for waiting so patiently and for sending such a fun kit!