Water Water Everywhere

Sweet Stampin Challenges has a new challenge starting today - the them................

WATER

So get out your water-themed stamps (rain, iced lemonade, lakes, waterfalls... anything wet) and start creating so you can play along!

April 30 - May 6

Sponsor: Robyn's Fetish

Here's my card:

 

Image provided by Robyn's Fetish - THANK YOU!

Here's the inside:

 

My own personal stamp - purchased at a yard sale years ago

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Image on Front: Robyn's Fetish
Image Inside: Manufacturer unknown
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black and Copic Markers
Cardstock: Recollections Black and Stampin' UP! Soft Sky
Designer Paper: Pinecone Press Rays of Sunshine and scraps from my scrap file
Embellishments: Imagine Crafts Pico Embellisher and Stampin' UP! Ribbon

Peek at My Week

Most week I celebrate Friday (TGIF!) with a peek back at the week. The good. The bad. The ugly. The mundane. It's my life.

Here are just a few of the happenings of this week...

We now have an empty nest. Okay, technically it's Mama Robin who has the empty nest, but I've sure enjoyed watching the three babies grow and thrive under the protective care of Mama Robin. Now they've left the security of the nest. They are missed.

We've had a few thunderstorms roll through... and lots of rain. The garden plants are happy right now and the grass is growing quickly! I've opened and closed and opened and closed windows more times than I can count. The air smells clean and fresh.

My husband (who rarely travels) was gone on another trip this week - the second one this month. He enjoyed safe travels and a good meeting. I managed to keep the home front functioning while he was gone. It was a win/win.

I have made 22 cards this week. WOW!

This is one of them:

I actually WON this digi stamp set from Imagine That Digis. It came in pre-colored (that's what I used for the super fast card) and line drawn images. THANK YOU Imagine That!!!

And now, I am the one who is gone - I'm at our annual Women's Meeting. Enjoying myself to the max!


  SCORE TIME: Would I give this week a “thumbs up” or a “thumbs down”?

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.

Images: Imagine That Digis BBQ Set
Cardstock: Recollections Black, Red, and White
Designer Paper: from my scrap file
Embellishments: Stampin' UP! Brads

Enjoy the Ride!

Carol is the hostess of this round of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Cards swap... and she asked us to create "humorous" cards.

Here's the card I made:

I hope Carol likes my card!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

SUPPLIES

Image/Sentiments: Art Impressions

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black and Copic Markers

Cardstock: Recollections Black and Stampin' UP! River Rock

Designer Paper: DCWV Kidlette Paper Pad

Embellishments: Spare Parts Brads

Administrative Professionals Deserve Our Thanks

Have you heard? Today is Administrative Professionals Day, a day to recognize/honor and show appreciation for all the administrative professionals that keep offices/businesses working efficiently.

My husband is the Director of Missions for the Greater Wabash Baptist Association. His office functions beautifully mostly due to the efforts of the administrative professional who has been in that office for many MANY years. Thank you, Angela, for all of your hard work, your professional expertise, your ready smile (no matter who walks in the door), and your dedication to the 26 churches in the association. I'm sure our Lord is saying "Well done!" and we who know you are, too!

As a very small token of my appreciation, I've made this card for Angela...

Here's the inside of my card 

(with space to write a special note of thanks to Angela):

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!
Be sure to thank the Administrative Professionals in your life on this special day.

Images: Altenew Peony Bouquet
Sentiment: Hampton Arts Thank You
Inks: Altenew
Cardstock: Recollections Black and Stampin' UP! Wild Wasabi
Designer Paper: Recollections Garden Florals Paper Pad
Embellishments: Michael's Pearls

I'm so excited... It Worked!

I rarely get as excited about a card idea as I did with today's card. I developed the idea and made the card - a few weeks ago......... but because it's for a design team I had to wait... and wait... and wait some more before I could show it to you.

Here it is:

Want to know what excited me about this idea? Keep reading...

{PIN}Spirational Challenge

April 26 - May 9

Sponsors: 

Cutting Cafe 

and 

Limited Runs

THANK YOU Sponsors!!!

I requested/used the Blank Cup image from Limited Runs... and used my photo-editing program (paint.net) to impose the {PIN}Spirational image right onto the cup. It worked beautifully! I made my own designer cup for my card!

Here's the image that is to be our {PIN}Spiration for this challenge:

I hope you'll participate in the  

{PIN}Sprirational Challenge!

Here's the inside of my card:

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Image: Limited Run Blank Cup
Cardstock: Recollections Black and Stampin' UP Cool Caribbean
Designer Paper: K & Co. Urban Rhapsody Paper Pad
Embellishments: Michael's Rhinestones, Paper Studio Doily, and Ribbon FX Ribbon

Going "Pastel" for Ice Cream

MelonHeadz Friends is GOING PASTEL (not to be confused with going POSTAL).

April 25 - May 8

Theme: Pastel Colors

I hope you'll go PASTEL with us!

I used the MelonHeadz Illustrating Ice Cream Truck Bundle to make my card...

Here's the inside:

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Images/Sentiment: MelonHeadz Illustrating Ice Cream Truck Bundle colored with Copic Markers
Cardstock: Recollections Black and White and Stampin' UP! Pink Pirouette
Designer Paper: Recollections Paddywack Paper Pad
Embellishments: Paper Studio Candy Dots

Time to Bloom

Each month I try to participate in the monthly challenge at From the Heart... if you do so, they send you the next month's image free. So EVERYONE who enters the challenge ends up being a winner. Isn't that fantastic!?!?!?

Here's my card featuring the April image/set (Time to Bloom):

I put one of the many sentiments in the set on the inside of my card...

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Image/Sentiment: From the Heart "Time to Bloom" set
Ink: Copic Markers
Cardstock: Recollections Black and Stampin' UP! Ruby Red
Designer Paper: from my scrap file
Embellishments: Foof-a-La Button, Offray Crochet Thread, and Ribbon from an unknown vendor

You Make Life Sweet

The SCS Mystery Image group received an adorable image from Heather to use this for this month's cards - TGF Cupcake Anya. Heather also sent along a variety of theme-appropriate sentiments to choose from. THANK YOU Heather!

Here's the card I made:

Because Kelly will be the recipient of my card this month (the swap leader organizes where we send the cards so that each person gets one each month) I simply HAD to use buttons on my card. They are Kelly's favorite embellishment!

Here's the inside:

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Image: TGF Cupcake Anya colored with Copics
Cardstock: Recollections Black and Stampin' UP! Cranberry Crisp and Marina Mist
Designer Paper: from my scrap file
Embellishments: Foof-a-La Buttons and Imagine Crafts Clear Pico Embellisher

Peek at My Week

It's Friday... TGIF! And time for a Peek at My Week.

The weather has been gorgeous this week. For many of you that means activities that take you outdoors - walks in the park, weeding the flower beds, planting vegetables, mowing the grass, that sort of thing. For me it means ICE CREAM!!!

Yes, we went to our favorite little ice cream shack this week. It's a 20-25 minute drive and the ice cream is delicious!

Okay, enough about that. I'm gaining weight just thinking about it.

I also was able to begin the process of unpacking, sorting, purging, and organizing in the garage. That's making me pretty happy... since it hasn't been touched since we moved in late November. I'm not anywhere near finished, but I'm much further along in the process than I was a week ago.

Wednesday I took the day off to go to town... I went to card class (we made 2 punch art cards), got a haircut, did some shopping, and thoroughly enjoyed the day. A girl just needs a day to call her own once in a while, don't you think?

Card count for this week wasn't nearly as large as last week, but I did manage to make 8 cards this week. One of them was super SUPER easy... so easy, in fact, that it probably shouldn't even count. LOL!

Last Saturday's card (you can see it HERE) had some really pretty subtle DP on it. It was actually part of the Paper Studio Cheekee Monkey Paper Pad. Well............ that pad also had the fun monkey paper that you see on this card. When I looked at that piece of paper I thought... sure! That could be used to make a card. So I did it. Stamp a sentiment. Add a rhinestone for some sparkle on the teeth. Voila. Card finished.

Here it is:

The Inside:

 SCORE TIME: Would I give this week a “thumbs up” or a “thumbs down”?

 Thanks for stopping  by my blog today!

Sentiment: Stampendous Sending Happy Thoughts stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
Cardstock: Recollections Green and Red
Designer Paper: Paper Studio Cheekee Monkey Paper Pad
Embellishment: Michael's Rhinestone

If Friends Were Flowers

I am the hostess of the Baker's Dozen this month. I chose the theme "If friends were flowers, I'd pick you" and sent the other gals three different images to choose from. I also sent along a couple of pieces of designer paper (from the Best of Pebbles paper pad), a couple of Spare Parts flowers, and a bit of A Muse Studio Baker's Twine.

While the Baker's Dozen gals are only asked to make one card, I did make two. Here they are...

Card #1

Image: Tiddly Inks Emma

Card #2

Image: Unity Eyes Closed - See Clearly

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

 Cardstock: Recollections White

Cardstock: Stampin' UP! Blush Blossom
Embellishment: Michael's Pearls

Hang In There!

I love doing the Gerda Steiner Progressive Challenge... because everyone who participates gets the next month's image FREE. That means everyone is a winner!  YAY!!!

This month's image is the cutest little monkey hanging from a tree branch.

Here's my card:

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Image: Gerda Steiner Hang In There Monkey colored with Copic Markers
Cardstock: Recollections Black and Stampin' UP! Green Galore
Designer Paper: Paper Studio Cheekee Monkey Paper Pad
Embellishments: Brads from an unknown vendor

Field Flowers Make Me Happy

I don't know if it's because I have spring fever or some other reason... but I'm really loving seeing and creating floral cards right now.

Here's one I made with the Stampin' UP! Field Flowers stamp set:

I also made a coordinating envelope:

 And I added a flower to the inside, too:

I'm entering this card in the Two Paper Diva Card Challenge.

This is the colors/inspiration for the challenge: 

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Images/Sentiments: Stampin' UP! Field Flowers
Ink: Memento London Fog and Stampin' UP! Regal Rose, Rose Red, and Wild Wasabi
Cardstock: Recollections Gray and Stampin' UP! Rose Red and Shimmer White
Designer Paper: Recollections Garden Florals Paper Pad
Embellishments: Delightfully Chic Pearls and Stampin' UP! Ribbon

Card Kit Cuties #5

I am slowly but steadily working on creating with the kits I received in a Card Kit Swap group. You can see my previous four posts by clicking HERE.

Today I created two cards with the kit I received from Terry. She chose a travel theme for the kit, which I absolutely loved! And oh my!!! The goodies in the kit were fabulous!

She sent the stamp - Stampendous "Better Travel" which I'm sure I will use a lot. And gorgeous designer papers, charms, gemstones, twine, ribbon, and stamp stickers, too. THANK YOU, Terry!

Card #1

The inside:

Card #2

The inside:

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

The only thing of my own that I used to create these cards was some Stampin' UP! cardstock (Kiwi Kiss and Sahara Sand)