It's Dueling Day

Welcome to mid-January! As I am enjoying the Florida sunshine (I hope!) this is a scheduled post. We are beginning a new year of the Dueling Darlings. Our kit this month was provided by Judy and I. Here's what my write-up said:
Happy New Year, Dazzlers (and Divas - Judy's group)! Your first kit of the year has arrived. As 2019 begins, many people make new goals for the New Year. Statistics show that most of those goals are never fulfilled. Judy and I decided that our theme this month would be "encouragement". Let's encourage someone to reach for that goal that they have set for themselves, whether it be a New Year resolution or just something that a friend or family member may be striving for. After making your card, pay it forward to that friend/family member who may be struggling.

This is the card that I made from the kit. Here's what I sent each of the Dazzlers:

• Gina K Hope is Faith butterfly stamp (retired) stamped on Neenah Solar White cardstock with Memento Black ink
• Gina K Inside and Out (retired) sentiment stamped on Neenah Solar White cardstock with Memento Black ink
• Designer Paper: the Paper Studio Denim and Pearls card stock (4 different 6x6 sheets)
• Embellishments: Paper Sweeties twine, heart brads, sequins, ribbon and gems from my stash

So as you can see I used 2 different patterned papers. The butterfly I colored with some new Spectrum Noir markers that my DH gave me for Christmas and then fussy cut the image. The sentiment was die cut with Gina Marie Designs Wine Label die. I used a Zig pen for some faux stitching. I added Wink of Stella to the butterfly. I added some of the gems and some of the sequins from the kit for embellishment. The sequins were filled with glossy accents for some extra shine.

I hope you will check out all the other team members to see what they created:

Dazzlers blogs: Jeanette, Shelly, Tracie, Terry L.

Splitcoaststampers galleries: Terry S., Paola, Debby B.

Divas blogs: Barb, Carol, Judy (my partner), Heather, Kelly,  LJ, Tami

Splitcoaststampers galleries: Suzy

Thanks for stopping by today. Happy duesling to all the Darling!

Donna

First Birthday

I recently found out that we have a new addition to our family. My nephew adopted a little girl and her first birthday is this month. So I wanted to send her a birthday card. Her birthday is right after we get back from vacation so I'll need to send it before we get home, So I wanted to be sure it was ready to go so I could send it while we were on the road.

This is a retired image from Beccy's Place. This set has images from 1 to 9 and it's one of my favorite sets. I've used it a number http://tuesdaymorningsketches.blogspot.com/2019/01/tuesday-morning-sketches-485.htmlof times for different children's birthdays. The images are such fun! I colored the image with Spectrum Noir markers (I got some new colors for Christmas!) and die cut the image with MFT Inside and Out Rounded Squares. The designer paper is Sweet Celebrations 6x6, a new paper pack from MFT that they had on sale. I love the bright colors! I backed each of the layers with black card stock to make the colors pop! The sentiment is from Jillibean Soup Balloon Party. I heat embossed it with black detailed embossing powder, inked the Quickcutz Tag with Peacock Feathers distress oxide ink and added a heart die cut from Simon Says Stamps Stacked Hearts. I printed the image twice and fussy cut the one so I could it pop it off the card for texture. The "one" is covered with Wink of Stella so it sparkles, the heart on the tag is covered with glossy accents, and I used white gel pen to embellish parts of the image. I really like how this card turned out!
I am entering these challenges:

• Beccy's Place January challenge: animals
• Tuesday Morning Sketch: sketch 
  
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies: use a critter
• MFT Birthday Project: sparkle and shine 
• Simply Create Too: anything goes
• Mod Squad challenge: Patterned Paper
• Simon Says Monday challenge: something new (designer paper and markers)

So this will be my last post before we leave for Florida. Tomorrow I will be packing all day and getting ready to leave early Friday morning. I'll have at least one scheduled post next week and hopefully I'll have more posts while we are on vacation. I'm going to try to take some crafty things with me. We'll see how that goes. Thanks for stopping by. Take care until my return!

Donna

Love

I had some time to play and wanted to finish my progressive challenges for January before we left for Florida. This card is for The Outlawz Progressive challenge.

The image is from Sheepski Designs called Bear Love. I colored the image with American Craft markers and die cut the image with Gina Marie Designs Cross Stitched Rectangles. The designer paper is old scraps from my stash. The banners were die cut with MFT Essential Fishtail Sentiment Strips. The heart embellishments to the left of the image were die cut from Simon Says Stacked Hearts die. I used Glossy Accents on the heart embellishments. I also added some accents with white gel pen. I am entering these challenges:

• Outlawz Progressive Freebie challenge: use the Sheepski Design image Bear Love
• Sheepski Designs challenge: new or old (new Image and old designer papers)
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies: use a critter
• Sketch Saturday: sketch 
  
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: something new (image)

I am beginning to pack for our trip to Florida. Tomorrow morning I volunteer at Head Start and then I'll continue to pack the trailer up tomorrow afternoon. Our temperatures have been around 50 this week but tomorrow they are supposed to drop by 30 degrees. We'll be back in the deep freeze again. Tom said we are supposed to get snow on Saturday and we are leaving on Friday. Great timing! Have a super day!

Donna

Guest Designer - Through the Craft Room Door

Happy Tuesday! Today I am a guest designer over at Through the Craft Room Door challenge blog. I had the pleasure of working with a wonderful digital stamp from The Paper Shelter.

The digital stamp is called Ice Hockey, colored with Spectrum Noir markers and die cut with MFT Stitched Ovals. I used the colors for the Cincinnati Cyclones since my nephew is a huge fan and I'll be sending this card for his birthday. I added the Cyclones symbol to the helmet. The sentiment is computer-generated and reads: "Keep your stick on the icing And blow out the candles!" The background paper is from Doodle Pantry (no longer in business). The three Heart Balloons are from MFT. I used black card stock for layering and added glossy accents to the balloons. I hope you'll join us over at Through the Craft Room Door challenge this week. The challenge is always anything goes so you can make whatever you want!
I am entering these challenges:

• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: something new (digital stamp)
• Cupcake Inspiration challenge: Something new (digital stamp)
• Incy Wincy challenge: quotes or sayings
• Try Stampin' on Tuesday: sketch 
  
• The Outlawz Festive Friday: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by today and be sure to check out all the wonderful designs over at Through the Craft Room Door. We are packing up the new trailer to start our first big adventure on Friday. We'll be heading for Florida for two weeks. The weather hasn't been very cold although we are supposed to get colder this week before we leave. The weather  in the Keys is in the high 70s so that doesn't sound too bad to me. I will be back with at least one more card this week, I hope. Take care!

Donna

Elf

We are leaving for Florida next week and I have a few cards that I need to finish and post before I go. Just in case I am not able to post while I'm away. I really don't know if we'll have Internet service at all. So I wanted to get the Limited Runs Progressive challenge completed.

The image this month is this cute little elf candy cane. I colored him with mostly American Craft markers then fussy cut him out to add to the North Pole background paper. The other designer papers are from American Craft. I added yellow Stickles for embellishment on both stars and the ornament on his hat. The sentiment is from Creative Vision. I am entering these challenges:

• Feeling Sketchy challenge: sketch 
  
• Mod Squad challenge: at least three different patterned papers
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: something new (elf stamp and North Pole background paper)
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: anything goes Christmas

I hope the beginning of your new year has been awesome. Wednesday I went to help with the twin's Head Start class and they were short-handed so I'm going to go back tomorrow and help again. Their regular teacher will be back next week so things will be a little more normal for them. Thanks for stopping by.

Donna

New Year, New Challenge

Happy New Year to you all! I've been working all day to get things back to normal. The last of our sons left on the 30th but we had the twins all day yesterday so their parents could get things back together again. So today is the first chance I've had to get things put away and get the laundry and dishes done. Now if I could just get some craft time in. LOL!
Since it's the first of the month, there is a new challenge beginning at 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. Our sponsor this month is SheepSki Designs and Lisa has created a really fun paper pack that you could win too. I've included the included the preview below.

The optional theme this month is to make any shape but a rectangle for your card base. I love the new papers this month. So I used them on my project.

The image is Snowmen Selfie from SheepSki Designs. I colored it with Spectrum Noir markers. (I got 2 new sets for Christmas.) I die cut the base of the card with Spellbinder's Scalloped Circles. The image I die cut with MFT Stitched Circles. The sentiment is from MFT Happy Pawlidays stamp set, heat embossed with white embossing powder on black cardstock. I die cut the sentiment with Impression Obsession Mini Rectangle Tags 2. I added some detail with a white gel pen and Ruby Slipper and Baby Blue Stickles. This was such a fun card to make! I hope you will join us this month at 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. It's never too early to get started on your Christmas cards for 2019!
I am entering these challenges:
Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
A Bit More Time to Craft: anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown: winter sparkles
Crafty Hazelnut Christmas: anything goes Christmas or New Year
Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes

Check out what the rest of the design team has created at 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. You won't be disappointed. Hope your 2019 is off to a wonderful start. Take care, stay safe and warm!

Donna

Music

Sorry that I have been missing this last week. It isn;t for lack of time to create because that's about all I've been doing. Christmas DIY is in full swing. But I haven't had the time to take pictures and post. Some of the gifts have already been given to Head Start teachers and friends. Others I am still working on. Not sure if I'll get a chance to post anything but we'll see. This is a very quick post for The Outlawz December Progressive challenge.

The image we needed to use was The Conductor from Starz Stamps. I colored him with Spectrum Noir markers and die cut with MFT Inside and Out Rounded Squares. The brown piece is also die cut with these dies. The sentiment is from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles and die cut with MFT Stitched Circles. All the die cuts are sponged with Black Soot Distress Oxide ink. The background music paper is from American Craft Christmas pack. I am entering these challenges:

• The Outlawz Progressive challenge: use the Conductor from Starz Stamps
• My Favorite Things Sketch challenge: sketch 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: anything goes
• Digi Choosday: anything

I have the twins this afternoon and tonight I need to finish up because we'll pack up and leave tomorrow morning for Cincinnati. We'll be returning on the 26th so we can pick up Dan at the airport very early on the 27th. Christmas with our family will be on the 27th. Before I go I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas. Thank you for all your support in 2018 and I hope you'll continue to visit in 2019. My the baby Jesus bless you and your family this holiday season!

Donna

Christmas Snowman Tag Ornament

Happy Thursday! My how this week is flying by. My DH will be taking vacation for the rest of the year after tomorrow, so I'm trying to clear up a bunch of stuff that I've started and haven't finished for the Christmas season. I needed one more tag ornament so I thought I'd finish that up.

This cheerful snowman is from QKR Stampede. He's called Christmas Cheer. I colored him with American Craft markers. The ornament is constructed from a recycled spool of ribbon. I did a tutorial of how to make these tag ornaments a couple years ago. I used MFT Stitched Circle dies for the image and the outside ring around the spool. The designer paper is scraps from American Craft. I colored the edge of the spool with a red marker. The snowflakes are from MFT Layered Snowflakes, die cut from glitter paper and glued together and then to the spool. These are such fun to make. I hope the kiddos that are getting these will love them. I am entering these challenges:

• QKR Stampede: anything goes
• Catch the Bug challenge: anything goes
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: Christmas
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Cupcake Inspirations: red, green and white
• Outlawz Twisted Thursday: tickets or tags

Now on to other things. We have an appointment this afternoon that's going to take time out of my schedule. I have to crank up the crock pot and get dinner going and finish the laundry. How did I do this when I had little kids underfoot all the time? LOL! Hope you are well. The weekend will be here soon!

Donna

Santa

I took a little time off this week, mainly to get my Christmas cards written out and sent. The last batch will be going out tomorrow. And believe it or not I have more than 20 extra cards thanks to Beccy's Place challenge and the Bugaboo Holiday Chaos challenge. It really helps to get enough cards completed. Maybe next year I'll be able to send some to some of the charities that ask for Christmas cards to send to nursing homes, etc. So tonight I did another Christmas card (just can't seem to stop myself) and I have at least one more Christmas project before I can move on to other projects.

This Bugaboo image has been sitting on my desk for quite some time, all colored up and ready to go. It never seemed to fit the challenges for the Holiday Chaos so I decided I just had to use it before Christmas rolled around. This is Santa Claus Peeker, colored with Spectrum Noir markers and die with the frames dies from MFT Blueprints 32. The background designer paper is from scraps of American craft. The snowflakes are die cut from MFT Layered Snowflakes from scraps of glitter paper (some silver glitter and another one was a blue chevron glitter paper). I also added some white pearl gems to the middle of each snowflake. It was a very easy and fast card to put together. I am going to start my new year's resolution right now. I am going to finish all the insides of my Christmas cards this year and not wait until I am ready to send them. That is such a chore to finish them all at the last minute. I am entering these sketch challenges:

• Catch the Bug challenge: anything goes
• Sketch Saturday: sketch 
  
• Hiding in my Craft Room: super scraps Saturday
• Outlawz Sunday Songs and Poems challenge: Here Comes Santa Claus
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas: gems or pearls
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: Christmas

The week is half over already. Time is flying by. Hope your week is going well. Today Tom and I volunteered at Head Start and then planted daffodils at our other property since the temperatures were above 50 today. I doubt that will last very long. Thanks for stopping by. Take care!

Donna

Holiday Chaos Bingo

Day 7 (phew, I made it through the week)! Today's challenge at Catch the Bug is a Bingo challenge.

I'm sure you'll be able to tell from my card but I used the bottom row: plaid, Bugaboo image, and star.

This is the Friday Freebie image for this week called Stella - Christmas Cost. I colored her with American Craft markers and added Crystal Stickles to her hat. The image is die cut with Spellbinders Large Rectangles. The background paper is also American Craft from my scrap box. I added three stars from the MFT Blueprints 13 die set. The green spotted paper was die cut with MFT Inside and Out Stitched Rounded Squares. To finish off I added a chipboard heart that I colored with the same red marker as Stella's top. I am entering these challenges.

• Bugaboo Holiday Chaos: Day 7 Holiday Chaos Bingo 
• Outlawz Wednesday Sketch challenge: sketch 
  
• C.R.A.F.T. challenge: Christmas
• Creative Knockouts: Christmas Delights
• Scrapping 4 Fun: Christmas
• Work It Wednesday: Ho Ho Holidays

That's it for me. I'll be taking a few days off from crafting now. I have a busy rest of the weekend. Hope your weekend is relaxing with some crafty time. Maybe Monday I'll be able to get back to some crafting. Take care!

Donna

Happy 95th

Sigh of relief! I got Tom's aunt's card completed. I was beginning to think that might not get done on time. But I made it pretty simple.

The image and designer paper is from Beccy's Place called Peonies in a Vase. Both the image and paper are freebies. I colored the image with a mixture of Copic and Spectrum Noir markers. I die cut it with MFT Stitched Ovals and inked the edge with AlteNew Rose Quartz ink. The green cardstock strip is embossed with Cuttlebug Victoria embossing folder. I backed the layers with black cardstock to make the color pop. The sentiment is from MFT More Essential Sentiments. 

This is the inside of the card. The sentiment is from MFT Not Your Basic Birthday Wishes. I mirrored the outside of the card. The Happy is from a Simon Says die cut. I used some left over piece of the embossed strip from the front of the card. The numbers I added from a stamp set I got years ago when I first started stamping. I was surprised I still had it. I am entering these challenges:

• Beccy's Place December challenge: use a Beccy's Place image; twist: use flowers/plants
• Addicted to Stamps and More: anything goes 
  
• Try Stampin' on Tuesday: sketch 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Outlawz Festive Friday: milestone birthday (to me anything past 70 is a milestone birthday)
• A Bit More Time to Craft: anything goes

Well, today os the last day for Bugaboo's Holiday Chaos, so I will be back with my card for that challenge later. We also have Tom's Holiday Party for his job at lunch today. I have to make a dish for that yet. The twins will be joining us for lunch today and probably tomorrow too before we leave for the 95th birthday party. Have a wonderful day. Thanks for dropping by!

Donna

What the Fruit Cake?

Welcome to Day 6 of Bugaboo's Holiday Chaos. Today is a color challenge. You know how colorful a fruit cake can be. 

So most of you know that color challenges aren't my thing. I usually shy away from them and choose sketch challenges over color anyday. But I've found that if I look at the colors and then go hunt for the right image to use the colors, I can usually do a color challenge without freaking out. I knew this challenge was coming up so I printed off a bunch of fun Bugaboo images that I thought I could use and colored them up to be one step ahead of the game. Oh no, that didn't work. I might have used one of those. Nothing I had done was good enough for the challenges. So I've been starting from square one. So much for my Girl Scout mentality: Be Prepared! Anyway, I went in search of an image that I could use these colors on and I found one pretty quickly!

I used all these colors plus a little black and a little brown. Most of the markers I used were American Craft but there are a few Copics thrown in. The sentiment is from an Old Flourishes stamp set. I used my MISTI to place it in the label. The background papers are from my scrap bin and I think they are Lawn Fawn. I must have gotten them from a Simon Says Card Kit years ago. The image is Bugaboo Christmas Jar. My backing cardstock is a Christmas green color. And I punched two snowflakes from light green glitter paper. I am entering these challenges:

• Bugaboo Holiday Chaos: Day 6 color challenge
• Atlantic Hearts Sketch challenge: sketch 
   
• Cards in Envy: Spirit of Christmas
• Christmas Crafts All Year 'Round: anything goes
• Work It Wednesday: Ho Ho Holidays
• Tuesday Throwdown: anything goes

I need to go work on Tom's aunt's 95th birthday card. Her birthday is this weekend and we'll be traveling for her party. Hope the weather improves. We are supposed to get a wintry mix. It started around noon today. Right now it's snowing. The salt trucks have been out all afternoon so hopefully the roads won't be bad. Thanks for stopping by. Hope you'll come back and visit again soon.

Donna

Smile for the Camera

At Bugaboo Holiday Chaos, the day 5 challenge is a photo inspiration,

So I thought most of them were elves so I focused on using an elf. And most of the photo is red and green so I used those colors in my card too.

This is the Bugaboo image called Elf 003. I colored him with Spectrum Noir markers. Then used Recollections Glitz to add some sparkle to the image. The designer paper at the top of the card is from American Craft. The ribbon is from my stash. The sentiment is from Bird's Cards. I colored it with the same markers that I used on the image and popped it up with foam tape. I used green cardstock for the card base and added a layer of black cardstock to make the colors pop. I am entering these challenges:

• Bugaboo Holiday Chaos: Day 5: photo inspiration
• Sketch Saturday: sketch 
  
• Hiding in my Craft Room: Christmas colors
• Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge: Christmas colors
• Crafty Friends challenge: Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: anything goes

I am going to have to stop making Christmas cards so I can write them and send them out. So that's my next big project. I played with the kids at Head Start this morning. Another fun time! Arthur is learning his numbers. He doesn't quite have 5 and 7 down yet but he counts to ten with a little prompting for 5 and 7. It's so amazing to watch him point to numbers when you ask him to find something. He's going to be one smart little boy! Thanks for stopping by tonight. Take care!

Donna

Is That an Ugly Sweater or What?

Day 4 of Bugaboo Holiday Chaos brought us a choice. There were 3 ugly sweaters and you were to use the recipe for that sweater to make your project.

I chose #3 and the recipe is color green, embossing, and ornament. I can't say that my card looks like an ugly sweater though. I'm quite glad about that!

The image was a freebie from Bugaboo at Kit and Clowder just last week. This is Bella Christmas Ornaments. It's such a cute image. I colored it with Spectrum Noir markers. I used Wink of Stella on the candy cane. The white spaces on the ornaments have Dimensional Magic as does the chipboard hearts (also colored with Spectrum Noir markers). The designer paper is from American Craft. The strips of red cardstock were embossed with Large Ornament embossing folder. The sentiment is from AlteNew Halftone Holidays embossed with black embossing powder. I am entering these challenges:

• Bugaboo Holiday Chaos: Day 4 Is That an Ugly Sweater or What?
• Tuesday Morning Sketches: sketch 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• 613 Avenue Create: anything goes
• Simon says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge: Christmas colors
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas: anything goes

This was my second post for today so I have some other things I need to get done now. But I do need to make a card for Tom's aunt whose turning 95 this weekend. That will be my next project. We'll be driving to Cincinnati this weekend for her 95th birthday party. Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful hump day!

Donna

Bring on the White Elephant Gifts

Day 3 at Bugaboo Holiday Chaos is all about gift packaging. Something other than a card. If you follow my blog I did an ornament tag last month for Beccy's challenge. I did two variations on this tag for the Holiday Chaos challenge.

These are made from empty ribbon spools. You can find my original tutorial here. Normally I take one side off the spool and put the image down into the middle of the spool. For the dog and cat ornament I did take the one side of the spool off and sanded down the edges. But then I realized my image wouldn't fit inside the spool so instead I cut the image slightly smaller than the back part of the spool and inked the backed edge with fire brick distress ink. The image is inked with peacock feathers so there is quite a contrast but it's impossible to see in the picture. So that was one variation. It kind of makes a stepping stone look to the tag. On the Rudolph ornament I left the spool completely intact. I still cut my image slightly smaller than the spool and since the spool was red it left a nice red edge when I glued the image onto it. 

Here are the backs of the ornaments. Before adding the paper to the back I put some ribbon for a hanger and then glue the designer paper to the back of the spool. Use a heavy duty glue for this. I usually use my hot glue gun to put the ribbon on and to add the paper I used Gina K Connect glue.  The images I used are from Bugaboo: Reindeer Christmas Goodies and Winter Cat and Puppy Dog. You might notice that I colored the dog in traditional Christmas colors and the cat very differently. Cats seem to go their own way so I colored him in nontraditional colors. 

And here's my tags on the respective gifts. I bought Christmas mugs for each of the grand nieces and nephews, filled them with hot chocolate packages and mini marshmallows. They are wrapped in Christmas cellophane and then tied with a bow. I hung the tag ornaments from the bows. I have a few more of these to make before Christmas. You can decorate them anyway you like so they are fun to make. I am entering these challenges:

• Bugaboo Holiday Chaos: Day 3 gift packaging (ornament tags)
• Work it Wednesday: Ho Ho Holidays
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies: use a critter
• Christmas Crafts All Year 'Round: anything goes
• Scribbles Designs: Reindeer Games
• Outlawz Festive Friday challenge: Christmas
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

I hope to be back this evening with Day 4 of the Holiday Chaos challenge. Trying to keep us but I have a few other jobs to get done this afternoon too. Hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!

Donna