Missing You Is Real Ruff!

These little puppies just seem to make me smile. They are so cute!

Speaking of cute, Sweet Stampin' is having a "Bingo" Challenge this week and one of the items on the Bingo Chart is CUTE. You know how these charts work, right? To participate in the challenge, you choose three items in a row on the Bingo Chart (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) and you use those three items on your card.

I wanted to use cute - so I went with the bottom row horizontally - Ribbon, Cute, and Grey.

I hope you'll participate in the 

Sweet Stampin' Bingo Challenge!

March 31 - April 6

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Supplies Used

Stamp/Die Set: Mama Elephant Puppy Play

Papers: Recollections Black, Red, and White CS and DP from the Recollections Black & White Paper Pad

Embellishment: Ribbon from an unknown vendor

Have a Claw-Some Day!

When I saw the Lawn Fawn You're Claw-some set I immediately thought of the many MANY fun brads at Eyelet Outlet. This card went together quickly because I could see it so vividly in my mind.

Those claw-grabbing machines can be tricky to operate and it seems people seldom win, but on my card, it is sure looking hopeful. I think someone is going to go home with a sock monkey.

Eyelet Outlet Products Used:

Baby Animal Brads (Giraffe and Hippo)

Ball Brad

Car Brad

Pony Brad 

Sock Monkey Brad

Turtle Brad

Blue Enamel Dots

Red Matte Finish Enamel Dot

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Supplies Used

Eyelet Outlet Products: Baby Animal Brads (Giraffe and Hippo), Ball Brad, Car Brad, Pony Brad, Sock Monkey Brad, Turtle Brad, Blue Enamel Dots, and Red Matte Finish Enamel Dot

Stamp/Die Set: Lawn Fawn You're Claw-some stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections 110# White and SU Brilliant Blue and Lemon Lime Twist CS and DP from my scrap file

XOxo

I am so excited to show you today's card. It is full of love.

LOVE #1 - The stamp set is from a company I love! The Project Bin! The name of the stamp set is In My Heart. I love this stamp set! One of my favorite parts of it is the script XOXO. And it even has coordinating dies.

LOVE #2 - My friend Barb gave me this set. THANK YOU, Barb! 

LOVE #3 (because there HAS to be three things) - Black, Red, and White with a touch of Kraft is a fun color scheme.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Supplies Used

Stamp/Die Set: The Project Bin In My Heart stamped with Catherine Pooler Rockin' Red and Gina K Black Onyx Inks

Papers: Recollections Black, Kraft, Red, and White CS

Embellishments: Celebrate It Ribbon and Brads from an unknown vendor

Travel the World

On the 28th of each month, the Challenge Your Stash group creates a card using what we have in our stash. BUT... it has to fit the theme given to us by that month's hostess.

Heather is this month's hostess and she challenged us to "create something specifically with YOU in mind." That's a great challenge theme, Heather! 

I love to travel... so I went with a travel the world theme for my card.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Supplies Used

Stamp/Die Set: Dreamerland Crafts Traveling the World stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections White and SU Night of Navy and True Thyme CS and DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: Brads from an unknown vendor

Personal Challenge 2018 - Week 13

I love Traveling Tuesdays! My personal 50-week States of the Union challenge takes me - virtually - to a different state each week (in the order they attained statehood). I do some research of the state and then find some fact about it to use as inspiration for a card.
This week's state is...

Rhode Island

Date of Statehood: May 29, 1790

Rhode Island is the smallest state in size in the United States. Over 400 Rhode Islands can fit inside of Alaska, and almost 4,000 can fit in America.

It has a lot of oceanfront property. It is only 37 miles across at its widest, but it has 384 miles of shoreline (including its 35 islands). Narragansett Bay juts 28 miles inland from the sea, and about 14 percent of the state’s area is taken up by bays, inlets, and other water.

Rhode Island shores are publically owned.

Newport may be home to the oldest standing building in America, the Viking Tower in Truro Park, with some estimates pulling its construction at 1120 AD. 

The first circus in the United States was in Newport in 1774.

It’s home to America’s first indoor shopping mall. The Westminster Arcade was built in 1828 and was the first enclosed shopping experience in the U.S., almost 130 years before the first modern (climate-controlled) suburban shopping mall opened in Minnesota. It’s a historic landmark, and now contains 48 tiny apartments.

The only nuclear explosion to ever happen in the U.S. outside of a controlled environment happened in Wood River, R.I. in 1964 when a worker at United Nuclear Corporation Recovery Systems mistakenly put too much uranium solution in a tank, resulting in an explosion. The worker was the only causality.

Mr. Potato Head was named as the official “family-travel ambassador” of Rhode Island in 2000. It makes sense with the Hasbro headquarters located in Pawtucket. He was also the first toy to be advertised on television. 

It has its own variety of clam chowder. Whereas New England clam chowder is creamy and Manhattan chowder is tomato-y, Rhode Island clam chowder has a clear broth. 

Coffee milk is its official state drink. It’s made with coffee syrup mixed into milk, the same way you would make chocolate milk. The Rhode Island-based company Autocrat is one of the only businesses in the country that makes the syrup, and Autocrat’s product is the “preferred syrup” for the state beverage according to the Rhode Island government’s website.

Both the first Baptist church and the first synagogue to be built in America were built in Rhode Island.

Jacqueline Bouvier and John Fitzgerald Kennedy got married in St. Mary’s Catholic Church, the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Rhode Island.

Rhode Island never approved the 18th Amendment, otherwise known as prohibition. It was only one of two states who didn't approve it.

Some studies show that there are more doughnut shops per capita in the Providence metro area than anywhere else.

The first traffic law was created in 1678, when authorities banned galloping horses on local streets in Newport. In 1904, the first speeding ticket was also given in Newport.

You’ll get fined if you throw pickle juice on a trolley in Rhode Island.

In Newport, it’s illegal to smoke a pipe after sunset.

Think twice before you take your favorite horse out on 95. They’ll pull you over and ticket you if they think you’re preparing for a race.

For some odd reason, it’s illegal to sell both toothpaste and a toothbrush to the same Providence resident on Sundays.

Apparently Providence has had a problem with risqué outfits in the past, as now it’s against the law to wear see-through clothing. 

Having more than 11 permanent vehicles in front of your house is a misdemeanor.

Rhode Island Judge Darius Baker became the first judge (in August 1904) to sentence a driver to jail for driving too quickly.

I've decided to go with this bit of Rhode Island information for my card's inspiration... Rhode Islanders are great at growing pumpkins, setting and resetting the world record for the largest pumpkin several times in the last decade. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Supplies Used

Stamp Set: Kraftin Kimmie Happy Fall Y'All stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored With Copic Markers and an Amazapen Gel Pen

Papers: Recollections White and SU Night of Navy and True Thyme CS and DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: Brads from an unknown vendor

Ready Set Go

Normally Barb, Kelly and I post our Ready Set Go cards on the third Wednesday of the month. However, this month we're breaking from tradition and posting them today.

What is Ready Set Go? It is a little challenge that the three of us do each month - I call it our "Extreme Challenge" because the idea is that it is a little more advanced, challenging, detailed, outside-the-box than the normal challenge. Each month one of us chooses the  theme. This month it was Barb's turn.

This is Barb's March Theme...

There are currently 674 color challenges on SCS. Please pick two random numbers between 1-674. Go tot he thread that lists the chart for your picked numbers. Choose one of the two color combos. I am giving you a choice of the two so you do not get "stuck" with a bad one. If you do not have the  Stampin' UP! color that is in the color combination, you can us some other color that's close.

My first inclination was to just choose two random numbers... then I decided to use a Random Integer  Generator to do it for me.

CC457

Real Red, Blushing Bride, Gumball Green 

CC661

Real Red, Cucumber Crush, Marina Mist 

Since I don't own Gumball Green, I'm going to go with CC661. The colors on my card are Cucumber Crush, Marina Mist, and Real Red (I also used some White; I sure hope that was okay). And - *gasp! - I didn't use any designer paper, only cardstock.

To give the centers of my flowers a more vibrant look, 

I paper-pieced them using Real Red CS.

Be sure to head over to Kelly's blog and Barb's blog to see what color combo they used and the cards they made with it.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Supplies Used

Stamps: Deep Red Stitched Flowers stamped with Brutus Monroe Raven Ink and colored with Copic Markers and SU Rose Wonder stamped with Catherine Pooler Rockin' Red Ink

Papers; Recollections 110# White and SU Cucumber Cush, Marina Mist, and Real Red CS

Embellishments: Your Next Stamp Gum Drops

SaveSave

An Adorable Gift Thanks to a FB Friend

There are some pretty nice people in the world! Really REALLY nice stamping people!

I was on Facebook a week or two ago (I've lost track of time) and a lady in one of the stamping groups showed a picture of a stamp set she'd purchased and was saying how much she liked the cat in the set. In fact, she bought the stamp because she liked the cat so much. I posted a comment that yes, the cat was adorable, but I really liked the image - an adorable little pirate girl.

Well... long story short... she gave me the little Pirate Girl stamp from her set!!! WOW! That was so very generous of her! And I am absolutely in love with this image.

I even had to ask her who made the stamp, since I wasn't familiar with the image. It's a Nellie Snellen. A google search showed me that the name of the set is Sweet Elin... and that she is! Sweet! And she stamped so beautifully and was a lot of fun to color. I am just so very VERY excited to have this stamp. I'm going to rush over to Facebook and tell my new friend thank you again!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Supplies Used

Stamps: Nellie Snellen Sweet Elin stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers and an Amazapen Gel Pen and a sentiment stamp from Hampton Arts stamped with Catherine Pooler Midnight Ink

Papers: Recollections Black and 110# White and SU Soft Suede CS and DP from my scrap file

Embellishment: SU Ribbon

Christmas CraZy Surprise

Pansy is the hostess of the Christmas CraZy group on SCS. Every other month she pairs the participants and the pairs send a set of Christmas image and papers to each other. Then we make cards.

This is March, an off month... no goodies going to partners. But Pansy planned a little surprise for the group. She sent each of us an adorable image and a couple of pieces of designer paper.

Image: Apple Mouse Pie by High Hopes Rubber Stamps (stamped on Recollections 110# White CS

Ink: Palette Hybrid Noir Black

DSP: Old Word Winter by Paper Studio

THANK YOU, Pansy!

Pansy gave us instructions to make a card and post it no later than the 25th. EEK! Today is the 25th. Best get to it. ;) I've actually had this card made for a week, but I purposely waited until today to put it on my blog... because Sheesh! My blog has been busy every day up until now.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Supplies of My Own that I Used on This Card

Paper: Recollections Black, Red, and White and Stampin' UP! Bashful Blue CS

Sentiment Stamp (inside): from an unknown vendor, stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Embellishment: Apple Brad from an unknown vendor

Pretty Yellow Tulips

I'm in a group on SCS called the Creative Card Chicks. Each month one of the "chickies" hosts the group by sending set of goodies to each of the members. It might be an image and some designer paper. It might include some embellishments. It might have a little extra challenge involved. It's her choice.

This month Paula is the hostess... and Paula said that since it's March, we all have spring on our minds. Therefore her goodies included tulips, butterflies, and soft colors.

Paula said: The image is from a stamp set from Sparkle and Sprinkle. They are kind of local to me... and used to have a brick and mortar store, but now only do the expos. The ribbon is from SU and is Daffodil Delight. Paper is from a value pad from Michaels. The butterflies and thank you are from die cuts I have and hardly ever use. the bling is from my stash and I don't recall who made it. The tulips are stamped on Neena cardstock with Ranger Archival so you should be able to use just about any color medium on them.

Here's my card:

I used some Ranger Antique Linen Distress Ink to distress the lighter color of designer paper and around the edges of the image.

The only thing of my own that I used to make my card is some cardstock - Recollections Black and Ivory and Stampin' UP! Pool Party.

Here's the inside of my card (with more distress ink):

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

No Prob-Llama!

Llamas make me smile. I don't really know why, because I'm pretty sure they spit. And can be a bit aggressive, too. But still, they have those funny little heads and those fluffy bodies. Maybe that's why I like them. They are round/fluffy, like me.

And then, if the llama isn't enough fun on his/her own... the sentiments. Oh what sentiments. No Prob-llama!

My card is full of llamas... but it also has several Eyelet Outlet products on it...

My card is full of llamas, 

but it also has several Eyelet Outlet products on it...

Champagne Jewel Bling Strips

Chevron Washi Tape

Llama Brads

Did you spot the llama brads on my card? They really don't look like brads at first glance. It's the two smaller llamas to the right of the larger stamped image. The pair on the Kraft paper. Don't they look amazing???

Here's the inside of my card:

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Supplies Used

Eyelet Outlet: Champagne Jewel Bling Strips, Chevron Washi Tape, and Llama Brads

Stamp Set: My Favorite Things Llama Love stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Paper: Archivers Kraft and Recollections Black CS and Paper Studio Fun Llamas DP plus scraps from my scrap file

Pick Up the Fork

I've used the Yogi Berra quote stamp from The Project Bin's "Wise Men" stamp set a few times... I love that sentiment! That being said, I guess I should explain that sometimes I have a quirky sense of humor. Today's card reflects that.

I was going through my stash this past week or so. I've been doing some re-organizing in my Working Studio, which is a good thing. In the process I discovered some things I didn't remember having. One thing I found in my stash was a set of brads - knives, FORKS, and spoons. As soon as I saw it I thought of the Yogi Berra sentiment.

If you come to a FORK in the road, take it. Hmmmm... you know where I'm going with this, don't you? Yes, I used a fork brad on my card.

Not only that, I also have some really fun - and colorful - Silverware Washi Tape from Eyelet Outlet. It has knives, FORKS, and spoons on it. So I used it, too.

Alas, the fork brad doesn't really photograph well. 

It's pretty tiny, plus shiny.

Here's the inside of my card:

Wise Men is just one of the awesome stamp sets 

available at The Project Bin. 

Thanks for stopping  by my blog today!


Supplies Used

Stamp Set: The Project Bin Wise Men stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Papers: Recollections Black and White and SU So Saffron CS, AMuse Studio DP and scraps from my scrap file

Embellishments: Eyelet Outlet Silverware Washi Tape and a Fork-shaped Brad from an unknown vendor

Celebrate Your Day

There's a new challenge today at Craftaholics R Us. The theme is going to be super easy... so easy, in fact, that you'll have absolutely no reason not to participate. Its....

Anything Goes

Yep, anything!

Since I could make literally anything I wanted to for the challenge, I made a birthday card. Why? Because I've been giving Birthday cards to a church in our association for their card ministry so I now need a lot of Birthday cards.

This one was extremely easy; I stamped a sentiment and used some gorgeous designer paper to go with it. It actually looks quite bold.

Another sentiment inside and we're finished.

I hope you'll participate in the Craftaholics "Anything Goes" Challenge!

March 21 - 27

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Supplies Used

Stamps: PTI Signature Greetings and SU Sky Is the Limit stamped with Catherine Pooler Rockin' Red Ink

Papers: Recollections Black Red, and White CS and DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: Oriental Trading Enamel Dots

Personal Challenge 2018 - Week 12

These States  of the Union cards/posts are some of my favorites. I love traveling - virtually - to one of our United States and learning some things in the journey. Then, I think of a way to be inspired to make a card in some way based on one of the things I discovered.

I've been doing these in the order the states attained statehood. This is the twelfth week of the year and the twelfth state to attain statehood was...

North Carolina

Date of Statehood: November 21, 1789

Here are some of the things I unearthed about North Carolina...

North Carolina’s most common nickname is the “Tar Heel State.” Historians don’t quite know how it got the moniker, but they think it might stem from the state’s legacy as a leading producer of tar, pitch, rosin, and turpentine.

The Wright Brothers tested various prototypes for a flying machine in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, because the remote location provided them with privacy, soft grounds, and steady winds. In 1903, the siblings finally achieved their dream of building a heavier-than-air flying machine with their Wright Flyer. Today, North Carolina license plates boast that their state was “First In Flight”—a claim that rankles Ohio residents, who argue that the Wright Brothers mostly lived and worked in their state.

Asheville is home to America's largest mansion, the Biltmore Estate, which ws built by wealthy railroad scion George Washington Vanderbilt II in the late 19th century. It attracts tourists from around the world to see enjoy its winery, lush grades, and French chateau-inspired architecture.

In 1954, a Fayetteville, North Carolina resident named Don Clayton created Putt-Putt golf as a no-frills alternative to windmill-filled, obstacle-ridden mini-golf courses.

In 1983, one of the worlds most famous soft drinks was born in New Bern, North Carolina. A drugstore clerk named Caleb Bradham invented Pepsi, which he originally called “Brad’s Drink.” The former doctor-in-training believed his syrupy concoction aided digestion, and re-named the drink “Pepsi-Cola ” in 1898 after the word “dyspepsia.”

Tanglewood Park's annual Festival of Lights alone is enough to make a North Carolina trip worthwhile. Their truly elaborate Christmas  lights are nothing short of magical.

Thanks to its rich land and mild climate, North Carolina produces more sweet potatoes than any other state. There has even been a petition to make the sweet potato the official state vegetable. 

In 1937, a man named Vernon Rudolph established the Small, Winston-Salem based business that  would eventually balloon into one of the world's biggest pastry behemoths: Krispy Kreme doughnuts. 

Babe Ruth hit his first home run in Fayetteville on March 7th 1914.

Cape Hatteras is the largest lighthouse to ever be moved due to erosion.

Cabarrus County, North Carolina, is the site of America’s original gold rush.

The University of North Carolina was the first US public university to graduate a class.

If you're not eating a biscuit with every meal, you're not doing it right, at least by North Carolina standards. No one does biscuits better than they do. It's the perfect breakfast with jam, the perfect lunch with ham and cheese, and the perfect side for dinner.

And what about these strange North Carolina laws...

... It's against the law to sing off-key. (I'm in BIG trouble!)

... It is a felony to steal more than $1000 of grease.

... Elephants may not be used to plow cotton fields.

... All couples staying overnight in a hotel must have a room with double beds that are at least two feet apart.

... Organizations may not hold their meetings while the members present are in costume and/or wearing masks.

... In Charlotte, women must have their bodies covered with at least 16 yards of fabric at all times.

... It's against the law to borrow your neighbor's dog.

... Riding a bicycle while not holding onto both handlebars is against the law.

Now, for this week's card. 

I've decided to go with this bit of North Carolina information for my card's inspiration...The state produces between 15 - 20% of the nation's real Christmas trees, including the popular North Carolina Fraser Fir.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Supplies Used

Stamps: Unity Old Traditions (truck) and Unity Love Bug Christmas (sentiment) stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections White and SU Cucumber Crush and Real Red CS and DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: Gina Marie Enamel Dots and Ribbon Boutique Ribbon