Happy Birthday Karen!!

My oldest sister Karen will be 60 on October 3rd.  I distinctly remember a remark my late father said about 11 years ago.."I can't believe I have a daughter that's going to be 50 soon!  Yeah Dad...how time flies!!  He would be glad to know that she's retired from work and living the life!  She has traveled far & wide in the last five years, writing about her experiences along the way!  You would be so proud!!  For this card I used the Bugagoo Scarlette Image "Friends Don't Let Friends Wine Alone"!  She likes an occasional glass of wine,.. usually red & dry!  I thought of her when I first saw this Bugaboo image!  Unfortunately this is one of my FAIL colorings, but don't care, she'll love it and I'm going to enter it in some challenges anyway!

Challenges Entered:

Cute Card Thursday # 236 Letters or Numbers
Little Miss Muffet #44 Anything But A Square
Digital Delights Color Challenge
Stamptacular Sunday #183 It's You Birthday
Tammy's Scrapin Corner #30 Fall Colors

Happy Fall/Autumn!!

Wow...we had a couple of really cold mornings this past week (45 degrees on my car barometer on Monday morning!)  Nothing like going from 70's to 40's in a weeks time!!!  I guess that means Fall is here!!  We don't really have spring or fall here in Northern Kentucky. We go right from scorching to freezing without much pause in between!!  So in anticipation of Fall/Autumn's arrival, everyone is thinking about chilly weather and Halloween!!    Thus the many Fall/Autumn/Halloween challenges starting up.  I just recently discovered Sassy Cheryl's Digi Stamps and there are some darling images!!  I couldn't help but purchase this  Sassy Sally's Fall Pumpkin image and make a card with it right away!  I use Prisma pencils, and unfortunately, after I had colored the image, the blue on her skirt smeared quite a bit. Don't know why, but she was so darn cute, I decided not to waste the image.  The patterned paper behind her is from DCWV's Fall Stack.  I used brown chalk around all the ages to distress/age it up a bit as I did the gold frame she is matted on.  I die cut the leaves out in the lower left corner using My Creative Time's "Piles of Smiles".  I chalked them up a bit, and curled the edges so they would be lifelike!  The sentiment "Autumn Greetings" is also from the same "Piles of Smiles" stamp set...  Got to admit...Emma has it going on!!  Hope you enjoy!  Please feel free to comment on my creations good or bad!  They all help me learn!!

Challenges Entered:

Love to Create #34 Anthing Goes
Bearly Mine # 54 Add A Sentiment
Delightful Sketches- Distressed
Clearly I Stamp # 60 Fall into Fall
Stampin with the Dragon "Fall Colors"
QKR Stampede #6 Fall Fun
Craftymess Challenge # 18 Distress/Aged
Secret Saturday Challenge # 204 Distressing
Sentimental Sunday's #121 Autumn

1 month old!

My grandaughter Addison will be 1 month old this coming Tuesday.  It's hard to believe a month has gone by already!  I thought the card would put a big smile on my daughter's face.  It has been a crazy whirlwind month for her...waiting nine months..realizing the day had come to deliver and being scared...then back home 2 days later with her little bundle of joy!!  Of course now the really hard work starts...she is exhausted with all the round the clock feedings and has only been out of the house only on a few occasions by herself since Addison was born.  Anyway, everything went well, both baby and mom are healthy and that's whats most important!  Addison seems to have her days and nights mixed up a bit, and I couldn't help but think this cute DigiDarla Blessing of Heaven image would be perfect for my card.  This is how my daughter wished Addison slept at night!  The black background paper is from a Karen Foster biggie bundle called "Throughout The Year" #3.  It's very hard to tell in the picture, but I used a Clear Glittering Gel Ink pen to color on the stars and give them some sparkle.  The pink & black frame was cut from the Cricut Elegant Edges cartridge, and I placed a pearl in the center of each scallop.  The tag is a Spellbinder Shapeabilities die cut.  I printed the sentiment myself, and lastly added the little number 1 next to her.  Believe it or not I cut it out of a birthday invitation that I had saved from a couple years ago..I thought it fit perfectly!  Thanks for stopping by and seeing my creations!

Challenges entered:

Tammy's Scrapin Corner Anything Goes #28

Totally Stampalicious Girly Birthday Card

Creative Craft Challenge2 Anything Goes

Clear it Out Tuesday Challenge

LEJ Designs No.21 Sparkle & Shine

DYSU #90 Tags or Flags

Send a Smile 4 Kids Anything Goes

The Squirrel & Fox #27 Celebrate the Occasion

Dream Valley #41 Celebrations

TAGS--Poodles Parlour Challenge

It's time for a new challenge over at The Poodles Parlour and this fortnight's theme is TAGS!  We are being sponsored by the Digi Garden and I used the Snowman image to make my TAG!  I will confess right here and now that I have NEVER made a tag!!  It's ridiculous I know...but until I joined the design team at The Poodles Parlour, I only made scrapbook pages & cards..and never on a blog at that!!  Oh well..I dove right into it all, so here I am presenting my TAG!!  I have to figure out just the right lighting and background to photograph my creations, because they are all dark & greenish looking when I photograph them!!  It is much cuter in person!!  The background paper is from My Minds Eye "Countdown to Christmas" cut out with the Tags, Bags, Boxes & More Cricut Cartridge2.  I used Prisma Pencils to color the image, some Fine Granulated Frosty Snow for him to sit in (leftover from my Dad's crafting days), Michaels Celebrate It Basic Narrows ribbon for the red bow up top, and added snowflake gems from my stash. OH...i cut a black tophat for him from one of my cricut cartridges because he just seemed naked without it!!  Hope you like!!

Challenges Entered:

Creative Craft Challenges2 Anything Goes

The Squirrel & Fox Challenge #26 Anything Goes

LEJ Designs Challenge #21 Sparkle & Shine

Fashionista Challenge #7 Anything Goes/Christmas Blog Hop

Tammy's Scrapin Corner Weekly Challenge #28 Anything Goes

Top Tip Tuesday Challenge #85 - Recycle It

Sassy Cheryl's Challenge #133 - Use A Die Cut

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #129 End of Summer

I created this card a couple of weeks ago when Cricut had some kind of promotional deal where you could use the new "Create a Critter 2" project for free in the Craft Room and win some grand prize!!  I made this card using that free cut, but didn't end up entering it into any contest or challenge.  I thought it was just so darn cute, but wasn't able to make the deadlines.  I am going to send this to my oldest sister Karen for her birthday October 3rd.   Funny..you wouldn't think this card would be attractive/appropriate/happy for a 60 year old..OMG... she is always sending me emails with BEAUTIFUL wild animal photographs that she has come across on the internet so I thought....what the hay...she'd probably love this!!!  Anyway..here it is. I used the Create a Critter 2 lion cut, all papers were from my stash, and I printed the sentiment in Microsoft Office. Although I didn't photograph it, the inside of the card says "Wild About U" using the same cartridge's sentiments!!  I decided to enter this into the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #129 End of Summer.  We are supposed to make a project reminiscent of summer days/outings.  Every summer my husband and I made at least one trip to the Cincinnati Zoo with our young children.  I have so, so many great pictures!!  Now my daughter takes our grandchildren to the same zoo at least a couple times in the summer!!  Thanks for checking my creations out...hope you enjoy them!!

Challenges Entered:

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #129 End of Summer

Happy Birthday Makayla!

Tonight we celebrated my oldest granddaughter's seventh birthday!!  WhooHoo!!  I made this birthday card for her....I showed a picture of it to my husband tonight after all the festivities were over and he said.....Wow.. that actually looks like Makayla!!  I have to agree except...her beautiful blonde hair is not quite that tame!  She has naturally curly hair that is just ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!  But she does have those darling freckles and loves anything pink, frilly, and girly!!  She is a very creative, thoughtful, loving girl at the early age of seven.  Her favorite thing at the moment is to play "store' so her mom & dad gave her a cash register, fake money & coins, comes complete with a credit card that when swiped says "your credit has been approved...OH MY!!!  DANGER AHEAD!!  Anyway..here's the card...and here is Makayla!!  I used a "Kidz Balloon" Bugaboo Image, colored her with Prisma Pencils, used cardstock stash. Flower ribbon is felt..distributed by Michaels Stores Inc (had around forever & never used)!  The white pearls are new ..from Doodlebug Design Inc. Don't remember the sentiment stamp, but was framed by the 1 1/2 Paper Studio punch in white, the 1 3/4 Stampin Up punch in pink, and the 2 inch Paper Studio Punch in "chocolate.
What do you think??

Challenges Entered:

Paper Take Weekly..Things That Make You Go Awwww

Card Crafters Circle # 40 Gone Gingham

Southern Girl's Challenge #53..BLING!!.

Quirky Crafts Callenge - #19 Lets See Numbers

Autumn - Back to School

On this past Friday, September 7th, we attended our 4 year old grandson Russell's adoption!  It was a long awaited event, and we were all so happy it had finally happened!  He came to our family as a foster child when he was about 3 months old, and was developing into a gregarious 10 month old when he was given back to his biological family!  Of course we were heart broken, but knew that was a part of the foster care system!  Another year passed and my daughter & son-in-law got a call asking them if they would take Russell back into their home.  He came back a troubled anxious child, so much in need of attention, discipline & guidance!    
We all look forward to helping him become the wonderful person he was born to be!!  He just started pre-school a week ago, and my son-in-law told me how excited Russell is to be in school.  He said that Russell gets up super early every morning and dresses himself, packs his schoolbag, and is ready to go before his older siblings are out of bed!!  I couldn't help but make this card for him after hearing that story!!  Love you so much Russ!!

Challenges Entered:
Crafting for All Seasons #35 School Days
Clearly I Stamp Leaves Challenge
Send a Smile 4 Kids - Fall/Halloween
Whimsy Stamps Challenge #51 - Anything Goes
Tammy's Scrappin Corner #27 Fall Inspiration
The Squirrel & the Fox - Anything Goes #26

My New Layout

Hi all! I hope you enjoy the new layout of my blog. My wonderful son works in digital marketing with websites, and he help me set it up.

FOR THE GIRLS at THE POODLES PARLOUR

Good Lord!! So many events have happened in the last eight days that I don't know whether I'm coming or going!!  My oldest daughter Emily had surgery, my younger daughter Elaine delivered our sixth grandchild...a precious little girl, Addison Margaret, and my niece Molly got married!!  Whew!!  Anyway...we are having a challenge over at The Poodles Parlour and the theme is "For the Girls".  Our sponsor for this challenge is Papelitos Stamps, and I made this card using the "Heather" image.  She is truly adorable...don't you think!!  I colored her up with Prisma pencils, and used the Big Scalloped Circles from Spellbinders as the base. I used my new Spellbinders "Rose Creations" for my flowers and used some black brads I have had laying around forever for the centers. All the papers are from my stash (love using them up).  I added some faux stitching around the flowers and pink background paper (Got scrunched up a bit while I was gluing everything together!).  The sentiment is from Stampin Up!  Thanks for stopping by...hope you enjoy my card!!

Challenges Entered:

Mojo Monday 257 Contest
Craft Your Passion #126 - Floral Images
Catch the Bug September Anything Goes Challenge
Come & Get it Light Shades Color Challenge
Dream Valley Something Old & New Challenge
Paper Take Weekly Anything Goes
http://clearlyistamp.blogspot.com
Southern Girls Challenge - It's About the Flora
Digistampsforjoy #50 Celebrate Colors of Spring