Bring Your Own Bottle

Today is our Dueling Day with the Dueling Darlings. This is a scheduled post as I am away on vacation. Judy (Divas) and I (Dazzlers) were the hostesses this month and we chose to celebrate Baby Safety Month and challenge everyone to make a baby card with their kit. Here's what I included in my kit to the Dazzlers:

• Image from Gina K Designs (retired stamp set called Wee Tees) on Neenah Solar White with Gina K Amalgam ink.
• Sentiments from Paper Makeup Stamps and Hero Arts Everyday Sayings.
• Designer Paper from the Paper Studio: Blue Tiny Toes Baby Feet, Pink Tiny Toes Baby Feet, Bright Watercolor Plaid, and Balloon Animals.
• Embellishments: the Paper Studio la petites baby Girl Glitter Foam and Baby Boy Glitter Foam (bottles and pacifiers), Doodle Twine pink and white, Recollections Multicolored adhesive rhinestones, and the rest was from my stash (2 blue and yellow brads, yellow and blue ribbons, and a wooden clothespin).

For my card I used three of the patterned papers and backed them in black card stock so the colors would pop. I colored the onesie with Spectrum Noir markers and fussy cut the image, then popped it up on the card. I used the yellow ribbon as an embellishment and added two of the rhinestones on each side of the ribbon and topped it off with the baby bottle and pacifier glitter foam pieces.
Here is the inside of my card.

The sentiment is from Paper Makeup Stamps, sadly no longer in business.
Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you'll check out what the other Dazzlers have done with my kit and what the Divas did with Judy's kit.I'm sure they will all be inspirational. Check out my right side bar for all the links. Have a wonderful day!

Donna

50th Wedding Anniversary

Hello! Watching and praying for all those on the east coast who may be affected by Hurricane Dorian. I've been working on a card for a 50th wedding anniversary for some dear friends of ours. Here's what I came up with.

I used the Spellbinder's Contemporary Hearts Pendant on the red card stock card. I used the Simon Says Heart Stack inside the pendant. I filled in some of the hearts to represent my friends' family. So the two red hearts are the 50th wedding couple. They had a son and daughter represented by the blue and pink hearts at the top. The three pink hearts at the bottom represent their 3 granddaughters (2 from the son and 1 from the daughter). I added the 50 die cuts at the top and added the Happy Anniversary sentiment from a Hero Arts stamp set. I heat embossed it with white embossing powder on black card stock. And here is the inside.

The image is from QKR Stampede called Bear Hugs. I colored them with Spectrum Noir markers. I added a verse for the inside.
I am entering these challenges:

• QKR Stampede challenge: anything goes
• The Outlawz Friday challenge: anniversary
• Crafting by Designs: anything goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Simon Says Work it Wednesday: celebrate

I won't be around much for the rest of the month. My brother passed away this past week and the funeral will be Tuesday. We were scheduled to leave on vacation on Tuesday so that's being pushed back. We are heading for Maine for several weeks and we won't have Internet most of the time. So I'll have at least one post that will be scheduled but the rest of the month may not be much posting. I'll be back in October. Have a wonderful month!

Donna

New challenge

I am posting a bit early for the new challenge set to go tomorrow at 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. But life is moving fast and we'll be leaving with no Internet tomorrow. So please check out this new challenge tomorrow, September 1st.Happy September! This year is really flying by. Our new challenge for September is all about kraft. Use kraft somehow in your project. Our sponsor this month is Pattie's Creations. And Lisa has designed a wonderful kraft paper set you are going to love. Here is my card.

The adorable gingerbread house is from Pattie's Creations. The sentiment is from Create with TLC. It's die cut with MFT Inside and Out Stitched Rounded Squares. I fusst cut the kraft mat behind the image. The gingerbread paper is from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles Gingerbread Cookies. The candy strip paper is from an unknown source. Had it in my stash and haven't been able to find it in my files. I added ribbon for the horizontal strip. All layers have a kraft layer behind. The base card stock is also kraft. For accent around the gingerbread house I used Rock Cabdt Stickles. We sure hope you will join us beginning September 1st at 6pm EST at 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. We'd love to comment on your creations!

I am entering these challenges:

• Try Stampin' On Tuesday: sketch 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: Christmas anything goes
• The Outlawz Monday Greeting: anything goes

Thanks for dropping by today. Happy Labor Day to all my U.S. friends. For those in Florida in the path of the hurricane, please be safe. My prayers are with you. 

Donna

Humorous Challenge for the Dueling Darlings

Happy Thursday! The week is flying by. But the 15th of the month is always the best time as the Divas and the Dazzlers face off in our monthly challenge. This month Jeanette (Dazzlers) and Kelly (Divas) sent us a kit with the theme of "humorous." I'm a Dazzler so I received Jeanette's kit. Here's what we had to work with:

• Images and sentiments: Taylored Expressions Adventure Land stamp set (stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Recollections 110#White CS)
• Dies Taylored Expressions "Wish"
• Punched Pieces: Stampin' Up! Photo Corners
• Designer Paper: DCWV Birthday, Paper Studio Pink Lemonade (Banners), Simple Stories Say Cheese (Cameras), and others from unknown vendors
• Ribbons: Amuse Studio Bubble Gum Pink and two others from Celebrate It
• Embellishments: Tim Holtz Giggles Ticket and other items from unknown vendors

So we had an amazing assortment to work with (Thanks Jeanette!). Here's my card:

So I used two of the designer papers on my card. I colored the image with Spectrum Noir markers. I used Spellbinder's ATC card dies to die cut the image and MFT Essential Fishtail Sentiment Strips to die cut the sentiment. The DP is backed with black card stock and the base is a blue card stock to match the striped paper although the photo of the inside doesn't make it look like the same color. I used several of the embellishments provided.

One of the embellishments that Jeanette provided was some fun confetti for a shaker card. While I didn't make a shaker card I did use some the confetti pieces on the inside decorations. I hope you'll check out what all the Dazzlers and Divas created. Their links can be found on the right side of my blog. Thanks to Jeanette for the fun kit!

I am entering these challenges:

• Atlantic Hearts challenge: sketch (I turned the sketch) 
  

Waving "Hi!" to all the Divas and Dazzlers visiting. Thanks for stopping by!

Donna

Yay! It's Your Birthday

It was a busy day today. Tom and I volunteered at Head Start with the twins all morning and this afternoon we volunteered at teacher's Warehouse. We are trying to consolidate our volunteer time to Wednesday and Thursday so that we have the other days for things we need to do around the house and out at Baby Creek. Next week we'll be cutting down a 40 foot tree. That will bring some firewood for the winter! I did get a card off yesterday for our nephew's little boy.

The adorable image is a retired image from Beccy's Place. I just love this set with the images from 1-9, and I use them often for cards for little ones. I colored this image with Spectrum Noir markers and die cut the image with MFT Blueprints 32 frame. I also used MFT Sweet Celebrations paper pack for the fun designer paper. I used dark teal card stock as the backing for the deign and finished it off with some hearts. The sentiment is from Simon Says Big Birthday Wishes stamp set.
I am entering these challenges:

• Tuesday Morning Sketches: sketch 
  
• Beccy's Place: use a Beccy's Place image
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies: use a critter
• Creative Knockouts: furry friends

I hope you had a productive day today. Tomorrow we are off to Opportunity House to volunteer in the morning. We have to stop back at Teacher's Warehouse to help unload a truck and then take the twins to a Head Start event at The Splash Pad tomorrow evening. Another full day for sure! Rarely a dull moment around here! Thanks for stopping by. Stop back tomorrow for a new Dueling Darlings challenge. Fun things coming!

Donna

Happy Birthday

Happy weekend! I really have to step up my game for birthday cards as I am in desperate need of lots for the next few weeks. So today's card is a birthday card. I found the image in my stash already colored so I just had to put the card together.

This image is from Bugaboo Stamps. It may be retired as I found similar images on the web site but not this exact one. I'm not sure what I colored it with as it has a nice shiny appearance to it.I die cut the image with MFT Cross-Stitch Oval die. I layered with black card stock. The sentiment is from Hero Arts It's Your Day stamp set. I created the scalloped edge with a Stampin' Up! punch and some paper that was on my desk from another project. I finished it off with a few enamel dots.
I am entering these challenges:

• Catch the Bug: anything goes
• QKR Stampede: anything goes
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: add a die cut
• My Favorite Things Birthday Project: birthday bouquet
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

We are leaving shortly to visit my FIL for a few days. He has some jobs that need to be done around his house. So while I do have some crafty things packed I may not get much crafty time. We'll see how that goes. Have a super weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Donna

Freeze a Jolly Good Fellow

I actually got a card done today! That was in between cleaning and volunteering today. Our new volunteer spot doesn't open until 3:30 pm in the afternoon so it makes dinner quite late but it gives me plenty time to get things done before we go. So I finished a birthday card for a friend.

The image is from Bugaboo Stamps called Birthday Penguin Cupcake. I colored with Spectrum Noir markers. The designer paper is from MFT Sweet Celebrations Paper Pack, 3 different patterns and colors. The sentiment is from Create with TLC and die cut with MFT Pierced Fishtail Banners (retired). I finished the front of the card with a party hat from Miss Elizabeth's Scrapbook Stickers. I finish up the sentiment on the inside of the card.

I am entering these challenges:

• Catch the Bug Saturday challenge: anything goes
• Tuesday Morning Sketches: sketch 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• The Outlawz Twisted Thursday challenge: chevron or geometric

That's it for tonight. I need to get some other things done this evening before heading for bed. Thanks so much for stopping by. Tomorrow is our day to be with the twins at Head Start!

Donna

The Secret to Marriage

Welcome to Tuesday! Lots going on this week but I need to find some craft time as I have several birthdays coming up that I don;t have cards for. Yesterday's project though was an anniversary card.

The image is from Bugaboo Stamps called Stella and Gus Marriage Secret. I colored with Spectrum Noir markers. The designer paper is MFT Sweet Celebrations Paper Pack. The image is die cut with Spellbinder's Labels 13. I used MFT Essential Fishtail Sentiment Strips to die cut the small banners and Stampin' Up! scalloped border punch for the scalloped border. And the little scraps from the front of the card I used to decorate the inside of the card.

I am entering these challenges:

• Bugaboo Stella Sketch: sketch 
  
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: anything goes
• Simon Says Wednesday: anything goes
• The Outlawz Festive Friday: anniversary
• Crafting by Designs: anything goes

Hope to find some more time today to create a birthday card. Make it a wonderful day! Thanks for stopping by.

Donna

Amazing Birthday

Happy weekend! We spent last night out at our other property and then came back today to help with a fund raiser for The Teacher's Warehouse. Tom and I started volunteering there this week. The Teacher's Warehouse gathers materials for teachers in the surrounding 5 counties. The teachers can shop for free and take what they need for their classrooms. It's an awesome place. I wish there had been such a place when I was teaching.
Today I have a birthday card that I sent to a friend this morning.

The focal point is the sentiment from a retired stamp set from Simon Says Stamps (Happy Everyday from 2013). The flowers and heart are from the same stamp set. The balloons are from MFT Happy Hippos. The balloons were colored with Prismacolor pencils and accented with a white gel pen. The inks I used were all distress inks: Lucky Clover, Picked Raspberry, Spiced Marmalade, and Mustard Seed. I was trying to match the MFT Sweet Celebrations paper that I used in the upper left corner.
I am entering these challenges:

• My Favorite Things Sketch challenge: sketch 
  
• Seize the Birthday: flowers
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Crafting by Designs: anything goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• A Bit More Time to Craft: anything goes

Hope your weekend has been fun and relaxing and hopefully some creative time. We have the twins all day tomorrow so there won;t be any creative time for me tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by. I need more birthday cards this week so I'll be back! Thanks for stopping by.

Donna

12 Months of Christmas Challenge

Wow! August has begun. This year is flying by. We have a new challenge at 12 Months of Christmas Link Up.  The challenge is always an anything goes challenge but we do add a twist. This month it's sparkle, glitter and bling. Let's see you sparkle up those gorgeous Christmas cards. Our sponsor this month is Oddball Art. Here's my card for the challenge:

I used the image Cute Reindeer with Bow colored with Spectrum Noir markers. I added yellow Stickles to the bow. The background paper is from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles Touch of Christmas Glitt.er & Gloss

I added some sparkly paper to accent the tag. The sentiment is from Create with TLC die cut from Quick Cutz tags. I added some yellow ribbon from my stash ad some enamel dots. I hope you will play along this month. Christmas is rapidly approaching.

I am entering these challenges:

1. Atlantic Hearts Sketch: sketch 
   
2. Catch the Bug challenge: color challenge 
   
3. Christmas Card Throwdown: stash challenge: ribbon
4. Crafty Hazelnut Christmas: ribbon/twine
5. Simon Says Wednesday: anything goes
6. Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

Come join the fun at The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. Lisa has designed some amazing papers this month. You won;t want to miss it. Thanks for stopping by!

Donna

Final CIJ for Bugaboo

Phew! I finished the Catch the Bug Christmas in July challenge. I always find it a challenge to complete a card a day for a week. My time doesn't seem to allow me to do that. I usually have to double up on certain days and this week was no exception. But I made it through (pat on the back) and I love the cards I did. And I have 6 more cards and an ornament for a package completed. Yeah me! Day 7 was a color challenge and the movie was Rudolph the Red Nodes Reindeer. You can use the Friday Freebie for this challenge; I did.

Here's my card:

The Bugaboo image is Reindeer Trio. I colored it using Spectrum Noir markers and the color requirements. Since the image had a frame around it I just fussy cut the frame. The designer paper is from American Craft Christmas Collection. I backed each piece with red card stock. I used Doodle Twine near the bottom and added some glitter paper layered snowflakes using MFT Layered Snowflakes. I wish the glitter showed up a bit better on the photo. It is rather sparkly. 

Entering these challenges:

• Catch the Bug CIJ Day 7: color challenge; movie: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
• Tuesday Morning Sketches: sketch 
  
• Crafting by Designs: get ready for Christmas
• QKR Stampede: anything goes
• A Bit More Time to Craft: anything goes

Now I have two more cards to complete this weekend. Hopefully I'll get those squeezed in between watching the twins and other things we have planned. Have a super wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Donna

White Christmas Day 6 CIJ

Slowly I am catching up with my week's tasks. We have the twins tomorrow so I really need to kick it into high gear for the rest of the day. Day 6 of the Bugaboo CIJ is a photo challenge and the movie associated with this day is White Christmas (one of my favorites!).

I didn't make my tree white but I tried to keep many of the other elements white with a pop of color.

The background is white glitter paper which looks like snow falling. I used Sunbonnet Tree image from Bugaboo colored with Spectrum Noir markers, fussy cut, and then popped up with foam tape. The sentiment is from Altenew Halftone Holidays and I used the coordinating die for the word "season". The "celebrate the" sentiment is heat embossed with white embossing powder on black card stock. The tree is coated with Wink of Stella. This one really sparkles in real life.
Entering these challenges:

• Bugaboo CIJ Day 6: White Christmas
• Crafting by Designs:get ready for Christmas
• Addicted to Stamps and More: anything goes 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Modsquad challenge: all the sparkles

Time to get dinner together. I hope to get my last card finished after dinner as I have 2 more cards for other things to make. Yikes! 

Donna

CIJ Day 5 Make it Funny

Day 5 of the week long Christmas in July challenge at Bugaboo is make us laugh!

And here's my card.

The image is Bugaboo JJ Christmas Cheer - Me Naughty? I changed up the sentiment which is from The Crafty Nomad. This is still a freebie on the web site. I die cut the swirl at the bottom with MFT Stitched Basic Edges 2. I used glitter paper in the swirl area and fussy cut JJ's feet to make it look like she's standing in the swirl. The sentiment is inked with a mixture of Cracked Pistachio and Lemonade distress ink to match the glitter paper. I colored the image with Spectrum Noir markers and finished it off with some Lime Green Stickles on the image.

Entering these challenges:

• Bugaboo CIL Day 5: make us laugh
• My Favorite Things sketch challenge: sketch 
  
• QKR Stampede: anything goes
• The Outlawz Festive Friday challenge: Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas: anything goes

Two more to go! I have them both in the works but they aren't finished yet. Our morning got taken up by a call from the car dealership. We are in the process of buying a truck to haul our camper. The truck had been shipped from Arkansas and arrived last night so we test drove it this morning. It's amazing how that will eat up your day. Delivery will be next Tuesday. So I'm off for a little crafty time. Will be back later! Have a great day!

Donna

A Little Gray Hare (Hair)

One last quick post today. This is a birthday card that needed to go out this week. I made a card similar to this earlier this year and when my FIL saw it he suggested that I could send it to someone else that he knew. So I used the same image and the same inside sentiment but changed the design.

The hare image is from Jane's Doodles. It was a freebie from ages ago. The sentiment is computer generated. I colored the image with Spectrum Noir markers and inked the clouds with Salty Ocean distress ink. The image and the sentiment are die cut with MFT Inside and Out Stitched Rounded Squares. I added some ric rac under the sentiment and three pink sequins that are filled with glossy accents.The balloon is coated with Wink of Stella. And I added the cute ruffly bow.
Entering these challenges:

1. The Outlawz sketch challenge; sketch 
   
2. 2 Crafty Critter Crazies: use a critter
3. Createful Hearts: anything goes
4. Digi Choosday: anything goes
5. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: anything goes

That's it for me tonight. I'll be back tomorrow with the rest of my Christmas in July cards for the Bugaboo challenge. Thanks for stopping by!

Donna

Bugaboo CIJ Fun

I've had a chance to play a bit this week but I am behind in posting my cards. So I'm going for two in this post and hoping to get caught up. Both of these cards are for the Christmas in July challenge at Catch the Bug. Day 3 is an ABC challenge: anything but a card.

I made an ornament using a used ribbon spool. The image is Stocking Santa Ornament.

The image is colored with Spectrum Noir markers. Designer paper is American Craft Christmas Collection. I used a snowflake punch and several layers of snowflakes glued together to decorate the ornament. The ribbon is from my stash. Add some Crystal Stickles on the Santa image. 

Entering these challenges:

• Bugaboo Christmas in July Day 3: Anything but a card (Santa Claus is Coming to Town)
• Crafting By Designs: get ready for Christmas
• Penny's Paper-Crafty challenge: anything goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Monday Simon Says: not a card

So for the Day 4 CIJ challenge there is a bingo board and the movie is Elf.

My card uses the middle row: sparkle, Bugaboo image, sentiment

The elf image is Elf 003. I colored him with American Craft and Spectrum Noir markers and added lots of Stickles to the image. I also used Stickles on the edges of the scalloped papers. The patterned paper is American Craft Christmas collection. The sentiment is from AlteNew.

Entering these challenges:

• Bugaboo CIJ Day 4: Bingo; Movie is Elf
• Atlantic Hearts Sketch challenge: sketch 
  
• Rudolph Days challenge: anything goes Christmas 
• Modsquad challenge: all the sparkles
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas: for a child
• The Outlawz Festive Friday: Christmas

We spent most of the day today at our Baby Creek house. Had a friend out for lunch that we haven't seen for quite some time. It was nice to sit on the front porch and watch the birds while we ate and chatted. It's amazing how fast the time flies. Hope your week is on the down swing and you are looking forward to a relaxing weekend.

Donna