Happy Birthday to My Li'l Monkey

Today is my little girl's birthday... she's so outrageously into monkeys (still!) so I used this Dustin Pike cupcake stamp and made this tent card. I found the instructions at the Just Magnolia blog HERE and it's also the challenge this week at CRAZY 4 CHALLENGES. (I didn't have any jump rings so I used some coordinating wire and wrapped it into a coil and poked one end through a li'l hole in his hand so he's hanging from it.)

These are lots of fun to make! Here's a look from the side.

Happy Birthday, Sweetie!!

Today is also Memorial Day, and there's a couple of sales I want to remind you about (in case you're lookin' to save a li'l money!) McMahon Five Designs is offering 15% everything in the store through today, just use coupon code "memorial" during check out! (not including gift certificates)

Also, Layers of Color is offering 10% off ALL stamps in the store through today!! In addition, they will donate 10% to Operation Write Home, a wonderful program who sends handmade cards to our troops so they can send to loved ones back home! Please hop on over to Layers of Color Blog to read all about that and pick up your free digi, redesigned by our own Nina Brackett! We're also gearing up for a NEW RELEASE at Layers of Color with a party on June 14th. We are coming out with some fabulous Art Stencils and one lucky person will WIN all 7 stencils!! The Design Team will be sharing sneak peeks of these new stencils for the next 2 weeks. I think you're gonna be surprised and delighted all the wonderful art projects our team has whippped up!!

Scrap Creations Challenge & M5D Sale

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!

Lots of peeps go camping this weekend, but not us--we avoid traffic and crowds whenever possible, LOL. But my youngest DD's birthday is Monday so we're having a little party for her. We will also be taking fresh cut flowers up to the cemetery (sometime this weekend) for all my hubby's family members, including his dad whom we lost about a year and a half ago. He was a WWII vet and a true hero.

Speaking of HEROs, you can pick up this awesome "Hero" poem at McMahon Five Designs FREE! Here's what I made with it.
But what's great is that this poem would fit ANY hero... including a dad for instance for Father's Day! I used some brand new Cherry Wood from M5D as well and it is awesome to work with! Sue is just the sweetest and she sent me a couple of sheets of this stuff to work with. I just wish I would've come up with something to show off the wood better! =) Here's a picture of the wood before I cut it up:

McMahon Five Designs is offering 15% on everything in the store starting now through Monday!! Just use the code "memorial" during checkout (does not include gift certificates).

I am entering this card in Kristen's Going Grey Challenge #12 which is to use the following sketch along with your Basic Grey papers (of course!)

The navy paper on my card is from the Marrakech collection, and the red is from Indian Summer.

Come on over and play! You have until Monday to enter to win a $15 GC to Stampotique Originals!

I Ruff You

Here's another card I made for Shawne's Studio 313 Hotspot Challenge which was to use bright bold colors and/or patterns. Did you know that she has a hot new digi store too? This whole set is from Studio 313, including the colored version of the dog and the digi papers to match! These are great for when you're in a hurry! But they also come with a line drawing for you to color as you wish. There's a new bi-weekly challenge posted tomorrow (Saturday). Come check it out! ☺

Designed 2 Delight - Dragonfly B-Day

Happy Tuesday! This week's free digi from D2D is this cute dragonfly collage! If you played along last week then you got this emailed to you for free. If not, you can buy it in the store and enter to get next week's digi emailed to you FREE! That's all there is to it! Thank you Faith!! Be sure to stop by Faith's digi shop and leave her some luv! ☺


Here I used May's Key Ingredients kit from Taylored Expressions, along with this sketch from Crazy4Challenges #38 by the very talented Cindy Haffner! Hop on over to C4C to see all the fabulous DT's cards for more inspiration ☺

Also, hop over to my sister's blog as she used this same cute image using the Mojo Monday sketch, so see check out what she made! ☺

Oh ya, I also added some dew drops on the swirls, yellow ones on the red, and red ones on the green. Hard to see the colors right in this photo. ☺

Hello Friend

Just poppin' in to say "Hello" to all my blogger friends out there today *Ü* Hope you're enjoying the nicer weather? Which reminds me... graduation is coming up and I have 2 cards to make for them. My nephew is graduating H.S. in a few weeks and my daughter is graduating 5th grade. Yep... they actually have a 5th grade graduation, can you believe it?? She also had one from Kindergarten. But this marks a turning point in her life I suppose... starting Middle School next year can be quite nerve-wracking, but she's an excellent student and makes good choices so I have faith that she will be just fine. ANYWAY! Lol... I wanted to ask if you know of any graduation digis out there? If so, please leave me a comment and let me know. I've gotta get started on some cards soon! ;)

LOC Milk Carton Giftbox

I'm loving these fresh crisp mornings here in the NW... great time for walks before work! Here's a little giftbox I made about a week or so ago using 3 different stamp sets from Layers of Color: Flutterescent, Nature Walk, and A Touch of Elegance. You can find directions for this milk carton style box on SCS here.

Sister Challenge with D2D

Happy Monday!! Here is this week's free digi image from Designed 2 Delight! If you're unfamiliar, it's a progressive challenge where EVERYONE who plays gets the next week's digi for FREE!

My sister and I like to challenge each other using our weekly free images along with another challenge -- either colors that we throw together or choose a sketch out there etc. and this time we decided to use SCS color challenge: melon mambo, soft suede, and neutral with a dessert option of using wood! I used some of this luxurious real wood from McMahon Five Designs--love this stuff!! The pink pearls in the corners & the Basic Grey paper, "Green at Heart" are also from M5D.

So often Kathy and I are like twins... finishing each others sentences and we often think the same when it comes to crafting... even though there are tons of sketch challenges out there to choose from, wouldn't you know it?? We both used the SAME sketch as well!! LOL. Here is Sweet Sketch Wednesday #49:

But hop on over to see how different hers is from mine. Fun Fun! You too can participate at D2D and get next week's digi absolutely free!!

Shake, Shake Your Tail Feathers

What a cute digi this is! I was so pleasantly surprised to have won 3 free sets from Shawne's new digi store, Studio 313!! This was one set I chose, called Feathered & Fabulous Lou Lou, and it has SIX different sentiments, so very versatile! She invited me to enter her challenge too, so I took her up on that today. It's called The Studio 313 Hotspot and is an Inspiration Challenge where she shows a picture of some of the Hottest Trends (ie. home decor... jewelry, etc). This week is bold colors and patterns, inspired by this picture:
I had some hot pink and yellow feathers from my craft bin, so I wanted to work those into this fun card. I also added clear stickles to the flower centers and her pearl necklace. OH WAIT... not pearls, okay, her Diamond necklace, LOL!! (whatever) it's sparkly anyway! The pinks actually match better IRL... but for some reason my camera kinda distorted it just a tad. Anyway, thanks again Shawne for some fabulous new images to work with!

Here Fishy, Fishy!!

Happy Thursday!! It's an awesomely nice day out today... sunny and 72 degrees! *Ü* Needless to say I'm not inside crafting, but I wanted to quickly post this card I made last night, using Fancy Fins, (McMahon Five Designs) along with this cat* stamp I've had for years (see note below). The cardstock and paper is from one of the KI kits at Taylored Expressions (Feb. was it?)

The cat's head is flat on the polka-dot paper and the green layer with the fish and paws is popped up with dimensionals. I added crystal effects to the bubbles, and dew drops to the corners of the green. That's it! Thanks for dropping in =) I'm going back out to pull out some dead shrubs. They hit rock and won't grow :( The bad thing about the high dessert... things don't grow well here, and there's tons of rock! Instead of a front lawn we have a rock garden. LOL. Anyway, hope the weather's nice where you are!!

*EDITED TO ADD: Looking back at my past posts with this kitty, it's from Eureka Stamps, however I can't seem to find it on their website now, so it might be retired. Sorry! If any of you find it please let me know and I'll link it up! However!! M5D has other digis like a cat and this fish bowl, and a puppy and this fishy bowl as well as this fish by itself (w/o bowl), and lots more! You should check those out. ☺

Franchesca Watching

I have a couple of cards to share with you this week. Today I'm sharing one I made for my MIL's birthday since she loves cats. Sue, from McMahon Five Designs just came out with 7 new digis this week including the one I used here called "Franchesca Watching." If you sign up for their newsletter, you'll get to see the new products as they come out along with samples (well, most of the time) ;P This digi is only $1.99!!

I used the sketch from this week's Friday Sketchers HERE. They are celebrating their 2nd Anniversary with a blog hop and prizes along the way, so you might want to check that out!

Also, Sue has stocked some brand new pearl flourishes like these...

and these beautiful roses too. It's really a 1 stop craft shop with classy, name brand products at really reasonable prices! Love that!!
Funny Story about this image: it was my turn to tell the girls a bedtime story last night and the ones they love the most are the ones we make up ourselves. So I used these characters from my card, Franchesca and Perry (short for periwinkle) but of course I had to give it a French accent! LOL. The girls loved it. Kindof a dumb story about how Franchesca watches Perrrrry (roll that tongue!) and got curious so she stuck her paw in there and Perry jumps out of the fish bowl and flip flops out the door and into the pond where the cat jumps in after it and the fish along with some of his friends saves her. Ya... I didn't think it was that great, but the girls loved it! You should've heard my story 2 nights before that about the purple and pink polka-dotted hippo, the chipmunk who was addicted to candy, and the lost ducklings! LOL ;)

Designed 2 Delight & a Sketch

Happy Monday!! My sister and I have been playing along in the Designed2Delight challenges each week (oops, 'cept I missed it last week) but it's a progressive thing where you win the next week's digi image FREE if you play the week before. So here is my entry for this week. Faith is super talented and super sweet too with lots more adorable images in her shop, so hop on over and check them out if you're so inclined! *Ü*

<---I used this week's OCC sketch challenge for my card.
I colored the watering can with Copics and added a cute garden charm that someone sent me. The ribbon and button were from this month's KI kit from Taylored Expressions called Material Girl.
Speaking of watering cans, my other DD gave me this cute li'l potted flower with a packet of wildflower seeds for Mother's Day.
Thank you sweetie!! (I'll let ya help me plant them!) *Ü*

Edited to add: my DD also gave me this pretty card she made me--she forgot to give it to me yesterday, but that's okay... when you're a mom every day is Mother's Day right?! I'll treasure it always! ♥
THANK YOU Sweetie! (I have the best girls in the world! So loving, sweet and creative too!)

Happy Mother's Day & Cathy Update

Happy Mother's Day!! First I'd like to share a card I made using my favorite li'l bird stamp from Layers of Color. Today's challenge at Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenges is to use shades of the colors brown, blue and white. I'm also entering this card for the challenges listed below.

I printed several pieces of {free} digital paper by Cajoline-Scrap and sewed them together like a quilt. Perfect for mom or mother-in-law. The sentiment is from an SU! set given to me by Lisa, and the prima flowers were a birthday gift from Kim Yu (thanks again girls!)

Our hostess this week is {the} Lovely Linda who shared the following scripture:

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

and our sponsor is once again Simon Says Stamp, donating one of their Exclusive stamp sets called Deer with Forest Friends.

I got an early present from my 9 yr. old Friday when she came home with this huge card she made at school with this poem inside that she wrote:

Mother

You are creative and loving!

I wonder how you are so special

I hear you scream when you see a spider

I see that you are an amazing artist

I want you to be president someday

You are creative and loving!

I pretend that you are always with me

I feel fantastic when you're around

I touch; can you buy me that phone please?

I worry that you will bring up memories

I cry because you're such a great mom

You are creative and loving!

I understand why you are so special

I say that you're the best mom in the whole world

I dream that you're a queen

I try to be delightful

You are creative and loving!

-Maddy Breach

Beautiful pictures, poem and she wrote a whole lot of descriptive words all over on the inside that say things like: Card Maker, happy, believes in me, talker, caring, awesome, kiwi lover, classy, beautiful, respectful, amusing, loving, neat, artistic, extreme, cuddly, funny, clever, bashful, amazing, playful, picky, fantastic, cute, joyful... OH MY! This totally made me cry. I was so touched. Both my girls are my treasures that God has entrusted me to raise, teach, and love and reading things like this from my DD just makes it all worth it. I love them both so much!

Also entering this card in the following:

CCEE Stampers - Mother's Day Card

Incy Wincy Designs - Anything Goes

Update on Miss Cathy:

My hubby took the girls to town yesterday (to shop for me for Mother's Day) and they went to visit Cathy in the hospital and take some cards that came from the card drive. I was hoping to go too but my fam wouldn't let me this time, LOL. Cathy is doing much better! She's able to maneuver her way into a wheelchair and go for a short ride through the halls every day. They've moved her downstairs to Rehibilitation already and ... PTL, insurance is going to pay for 19 days of that (as oppposed to the 8 days they originally thought). They think she'll be able to go home in 3-4 weeks! Let's keep praying!! She told the girls she was so happy to get their drawn/colored pictures and said she would frame them at home! Awww. Anyway, she is positive she will walk again!! Another PTL!! (Praise the Lord). The girls helped me pick out some lil things to fill the birdhouse gift box to give her and one of those things was a Windsong body spray which she says is her favorite, but she isn't sure if she'll still think so with her new nose! LOL. Yep, her nose was shattered in the crash and she has a "new" one, but she is so grateful that she can talk and can use her hands and legs etc. She hasn't been able to walk yet. But she will! ☺ THANK YOU once again to those of you who sent cards. It would be wonderful if she could keep getting those encouraging cards for the next couple of months! Please email me at breach4 [at] msn [dot] com to get the address to send it to! *Ü*

Birthday Blog Hop for PeggySue

It's our sweet DT sister, PeggySue Turner's birthday today and we're having a fun li'l blog hop in her honor! Each of us brought a card made specially for her along with a PARTY item for this "virtual birthday party"!! (My present for Peggysue is below.)So hope you'll hop along with us and see the design team's creations and have a li'l fun along the way.

If you didn't start at SSCC, please go back and start there! Here's the order of the hop, in case you get lost along the way:

SSCC Blog
Candace
Kathy
Miesje
Lisa
Randi
Linda
Kristine - You are here!
Grace
Chris
PeggySue - hop on over to the birthday girl's blog and wish her a Happy Birthday!! *Ü*

And my present for PeggySue is this gift set of beautifully embroidered hand/bath towels as I know how much she loves roses.

♪♫ HAPPY BIRTHDAY
to YOU, ♫ ♪
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
to YOU, ♫ ♪
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
dear PEGGYSUE!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
to YOU!! ♫♪

CARD DEETS: I used this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch and the big flower is from Nature Walk by Layers of Color.
The branch is a 12" Sizzix die called Cherry Blossom Branch (M5D) that I ran through the Cuttlebug. It's actually about twice this length... had to cut it to fit on the card! It also has little blossoms in the die that you can run thru with pretty colors :) I don't know who makes these papers, but Irina from LaLa Land Crafts sent me these pretty papers! Thanks again Irina!! ♥

A Cute R.A.K. from Debbie P.

This beautiful card came to me from my Australian friend Debbie Pamment. How sweet is this? She sent 2 cards actually, one for Miss Cathy (for my card drive) and this one for me. I can't thank you enough for your sweetness--it was totally unexpected and I love and cherish it so much. Thank You Debbie!!

Swimmin' By to Say "Hi"

... "Hi"

I made this card with today's challenge at SSCC which is to sew or add faux stitching to your card/project.

The hostess this week is the very talented Chris Olsen who chose this verse to share:

Psalm 139:13 "For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made: I know that full well."

I used my newest stamp from LaLa Land Crafts called Mermaid LaLa -- these stamps are so fun to color with Copics and easy to cut out too! Many thanks to Irina who also sent me these papers in my DT package--how fun!! I sewed all the layers except the blue that LaLa is on.

OH, almost forgot! Our sponsor this week is The Greeting Farm who is donating one stamp of winner's choice! Our winners are always drawn randomly using Random.Org, so come play along!! You have until Saturday night to link up! ☺

Another {Sweet} Cowgirl LaLa Page

If you saw my last scrap page I posted on Wednesday then you prolly guessed that another was coming huh? Especially after my daughters saw how cute that page was, my other DD wanted one, so she picked out the colors and this time I used Sweet LaLa and added the same cowgirl hat and boots that I drew.

I finally found a use for the Red Glitter Flock that my friend Lisa sent me for my birthday! I used it for the trim on the hat *Ü* I also used some red glitter gellyroll pens to highlight her belt and boots.

This also fits this week's LaLa Challenge, which is to alter an embellishment. Granted, I altered the same thing as my last page by making twine into a flower, but this time I used black instead of natural. I also wrapped some red twine for a lasso and put in her hand.

Here's a close up of Sweet Lala as a cowgirl. I have a ton of other pictures of my girls on horses so I'm sure I'll be finding other fun LaLas to add a hat and boots to! *Ü*
Another li'l bit of info... I'm winding down some of my design teams to spend more family time with my girls and hubby this summer. For most of them this isn't goodbye... just a li'l break and see ya again soon! Although I won't be on as many DTs over the next few months I will still be posting to my blog as I get time to create so I hope you'll keep checking in!