Happy Birthday to You

I needed a masculine birthday card so I came up with this.

The photo has the background really light. It's not quite that light in real life. Wish I had made the ink a bit darker. I used Salty Ocean and Mustard Seed distress ink to create the background with a Neat and Tangles Star stencil. I used an MFT circle die to cut out a circle and mask off the puppy before doing the background. The puppy is from MFT Happy Pawlidays. I didn't color him up for Christmas though. I paper pieced his hat and scarf. The ball on his hat is covered in Baby Blue Stickles. He's colored with Spectrum Noir markers.  I added and embossed sentiment on the black strip from the MFT All About You stamp set and a die cut one of the Yous from the MFT You Trio dies. I added a few sparkly sequins as embellishments.
I am entering these challenges:

• MFT Sketch challenge: use the sketch 
  
• Simon Says Monday challenge: all creatures great and small
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Seize the Birthday: anything goes
• Scrapping4Fun: anything goes

Today I hope to get another project made that I have to teach to Girl Scouts on Saturday. It's a wreath with felt flowers. I have to figure out how to make the felt flowers. LOL! Never a dull moment. Have a super Halloween!

Donna

Happy Halloween

I am usually over the current holiday before the day arrives but I saved a project this time for Halloween. These are two more of the treats I made for the twins' Head Start teachers.

The top picture is the front of the treats and the bottom picture is the back of the treat holders. The treat holders are pretty easy to make and no glue is required. It's held together by the little brad at the top. And I mostly used scraps to make these. The Be Spooky sentiment is from Paper Crafts Magazine and the Happy Halloween is from Fimolas Arts. Both of the images are from Bugaboo Stamps.
I am entering these challenges:

• QKR Stampede: Halloween
• The Outlawz Monday challenge: Creepy Nite Greetings
• Creative Knockouts: Halloween
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Hiding in my Craft Room: any holiday

Hope you have a spooky Halloween! All treats and no tricks! 

Hugs,

Donna

Happy Holidays

It's been a while since I posted. But I've been busy finishing up 35 Christmas cards for my FIL. I'll share those with you in a bit. But I have a quick card for one more progressive challenge for this month.

The image is the stamp of the month from Gerda Steiner. Just the cutest raccoon with his little sign. I added a Happy Holidays sentiment to his sign. I colored him with Spectrum Noir markers and die cut him with Spellbinders Heart Circles, that I inked the edge with Fired Brick DI. The sketch that I used is Sketch Saturday.

The designer paper is a double sided scrap from my scrap box and I die cut the Inside and Out Stitched Rounded Squares from MFT. I used both sides of the paper. To finish it off I added some Floral Garden's Diamond Wrap from Michael's. 

I am entering these challenges:

• Gerda Steiner October challenge: use Raccoon digital stamp
• Sketch Saturday: use the sketch pictured above
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: anything goes
• Hiding in my Craft Room: any holiday
• Crafting by Designs: get ready for Christmas
• Thursday Outlawz challenge: anything goes

Hope you have a happy Monday. I am off to volunteer at Opportunity House this morning and pick the twins up from Head Start this afternoon. Maybe this evening I'll be able to find some crafty time. Maybe! Have a super day!

Donna

Christmas Wishes

Just a quick post this evening as it's been a busy day. I was able to finish up one card that I started.

The image from QKR Stampede is called Santa Bear. I colored him with Spectrum Noir and Copic  markers and added Crystal Stickles to the image. The background is stenciled with Neat and Tangled Star stencil. And the sentiment is from AlteNew Halftone Holidays. The borders were punched with a Martha Stewart punch. The inks used were MFT Cherry Crisp and Elf Green Pigment inks. I embossed the "christmas" with clear embossing powder.
I am entering these challenges:

• QKR Stampede: anything goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• ABC Christmas challenge: U for unlimited or V for vibrant
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: traditional Christmas colors
• C.R.A.F.T. challenge: Christmas
• Simon Says Wednesday: anything goes

This morning I spent the morning with my grand babies at their Head Start class. They are always such fun to be around and the other kids in the class all come up and sit in my lap too. Nothing better than little ones to play with. Here are Arthur and Valerie playing at Head Start today.

Thanks for stopping by!

Donna

Presents from Rudolph

Happy Tuesday! Got lots of things accomplished today and a little time to play. Just enough to finish a card. This morning I mailed all my Halloween cards off. There is one more I could send if I got time to make one more. Today I played with Christmas.

The image is from Bugaboo Stamps called Rudolph Presents. I colored him with Spectrum Noir markers. I die cut the image and the circle from the designer paper with MFT Stitched Circles. The background paper is a scrap from my scrap box. I love all the circles in different colors. The ribbon is a scrap of ribbon from my ribbon box too. The sentiment is from AlteNew Halftone Holidays stamped in MFT Cherry Cobler pigment ink and then clear embossed so it stands out. I die cut the sentiment twice with Quickcutz tag die so it would be shaped on both ends and then distressed it with mowed lawn ink. And finally I added some self-adhesive gems.
I am entering these challenges:

• Tuesday Morning Sketches: sketch 
  
• Catch the Bug: Bingo challenge (I actually covered more than one column/row on this but we'll go with gem/die or punch/ribbon) 
  
• Bugaboo Crafty challenge: use a Bugaboo image
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas: anything goes; option use traditional Christmas colors
• Merry Monday Christmas challenge: gifts 
  
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge Extra: anything goes Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut Patterned Paper challenge: use patterned paper
• The Outlawz Friday challenge: Christmas

That's all I have today. Tomorrow I volunteer in the twins' classroom at Head Start. That's always a bright spot in my week. I'll try to take some pictures in the classroom. The kids are always such fun! Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Donna

General Note Card

Hope your week is off to a wonderful start. I made a quick card today that I intend to use as a little note card. Just a quick note to a friend to let her know I am thinking about her.

The image is from Createful Heart Digis and is the stamp of the month at The Outlawz progressive challenge. I colored the image with colored pencils and added a MFT stitched frame. The sentiment was computer generated and die cut with MFT Pierced Fishtail Flags and colored with Copic markers. The card base is khaki colored card stock. Just a very easy note card.
I am entering these challenges:

• The Outlawz October Progressive challenge: use the image from Creatful Heart Digis
• QKR Stampede: anything goes
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies: use a critter (dog on the porch)
• A Bit More Time to Craft: anything goes

That's is for me tonight. This week is a little slower for me so I hope to get more crafting time in. See you soon. Thanks for stopping by.

Donna

Last Guest Design for Outlawz CAS

I am really late with this post today. It's been such a busy week as you might be able to tell with my lack of posts. LOL. Hopefully I will get more crafty time this week. Today is my last guest post for the Outlawz CAS challenge. Today's challenge is cat vs. dog. Which is your favorite? I will be honest I thought the challenge was to use a cat or dog on your card and I didn't realize it was supposed to be telling them which I preferred. I used a cat on my card but I really prefer dogs. But both my sons have 2 cats each so I made a cat card just to send one of them. I plead ignorance! Haha!

The image was a freebie from Hambo Stamps years ago. The sentiment is from Crafty Cat. I kind of used the sentiment as the sun and inked with Fossilized Amber DI. The image is colored with Spectrum Noir markers and then I inked the pool with Salty Ocean distress ink. I cut out the top corner to try to make it look more like a sun. I think it's a fun card! So sorry to the Outlawz Cas team for getting this up so late. No Internet for the weekend and then the twins invading my house put me really far behind. I hope will join us this week at the The Outlawz CAS challenge and vote for dog or cat!
I am entering these challenges:

• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Addicted to Stamps and More: clean and simple 
  
• Tuesday Throwdown challenge: clean and simple
• Digi Choosday: anything goes

So now I am off for one more event to complete my weekend. I am going to be so ready for bed tonight. Thanks for stopping by and I hope to be more in the loop this week than I was last week. Have a super week ahead!

Donna

Trick or Treat

Just another quick card that I had finished and needed to get posted for some challenges. I am about to send out my Halloween/Fall cards as I think they make nice decorations for the season so I tend to send them early.

The green and orange paper are scraps from my scrap box. The green is punched with Martha Stewart Laurel Leaf border punch. The green flourish is die cut from MFT Flourish. The image is QKR Halloween Fun digital stamp. I colored it with Spectrum Noir and Copic markers. The sentiment is from a CraftsMart stamp I got at Michael's. I die cut the tag with a Quikcutz tag bit die cut both ends with the tag shape.
I am entering these challenges:

• QKR Stampede: pumpkins
• Outlawz Wednesday Sketch challenge: sketch 
  
• Crafty Cardmakers: Halloween
• Hiding in my Craft Room: super scrap Saturday
• Alphabet Challenge: P is for pumpkin
• Scrapping4Fun: autumn colors

That's it! I am off to a volunteer luncheon today and then the twins will be here this afternoon to stay overnight with Grammy and Grandpa for the very first time. Hope all goes well without Mom and Dad here. Take care and have a lovely day!

Donna

Double Thanks

Happy Tuesday! This is kind of a bitter sweet post for me. Over at Imagine That Digis by Kris we are introducing a new stamp set called Punny Thanks. This set was my idea, as I needed lots of thank you cards for different events. So I was thrilled when Kris said she wanted to make my ideas into a stamp set. Now these really aren't "new" ideas but they are all in one handy set.

And here are two cards that I made with this set:

I really love this card. So easy to do but a great masculine thank you. I used the image and sentiment and then backed it with some wood grain designer paper.

For this card I printed the sentiment and fussy cut the sewing machine. I cut it twice and popped up the knobs and thread to give it some dimension. The designer paper for this card is from the Sunshine and Rain Digi Paper set. 

How would you like to win this stamp set. Kris is generously giving this stamp set to one lucky winner who leaves a comment over at The Creative Playground. Hop on over to check out what other members of the design team created and leave a comment to win Punny Thanks. Winner will be announced Friday at 6:00 P.M.

Now I did say this was a bitter sweet post for me. It's my last post as a design team member at Imagine That Digis by Kris. I am going to take a break from the design team to try and get a handle on life again. So thank you to Kris and Lisa and all the design team who have been so supportive. It's been an honor and pleasure to work with Kris' digital stamps. Don't forget to play along with the challenge this month.

I am entering these challenges:

• A Bit More Time to Craft: anything goes
• A Bit More Time to Craft Extra: anything goes
• Tuesday Throwdown: clean and simple
• Digi Choosday: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by today. Have a wonderful day!

Donna

Furry and Bright

Happy Monday! The first day of the week and I am already behind in what I need to get done this week. How sad is that. Tomorrow we have the twins overnight for the first time. So that will be an adventure. I was able to finish a card today. This one took me a LONG time to finish. All those little lights were stamped, colored and die cut individually. I will definitely be sending this to someone who keeps my cards. LOL!

I love the finished card. So cheery! And that cute little pup makes it so fun. The pup and sentiment is from My Favorite Things Happy Pawlidays. I stamped and then colored the pup and the tree from the set with Spectrum Noir markers and then die cut with the matching dies. .The background frames are from MFT Blueprints 32. Each of the little light bulbs has a white gel pen mark and Spectrum Noir glitter pen. The wires are hand drawn. The pup's nose and star on the tree have dimensional magic on them and the pups Santa hat has diamond Stickles; so lots of shine and sparkle going on here. The background is difficult to see in the photo but I used a star stencil from Neat and Tangled to stencil a pattern. Love the finished card!
I am entering these challenges:

• MFT Creative Construction with Blueprints: use blueprints
• Simon Says Monday challenge: it's a dog's life
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies: use a critter
• ABC Christmas Challenge: U for unlimited
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: anything goes
• Crafty Hazelnut Challenge Extra: anything goes Christmas
• The Outlawz Friday challenge: Christmas

That's it for me tonight. Now back to getting ready for the twins. I'll be back later this week!

Donna

Happy 50th Anniversary

How was your Sunday! Mine was very productive I think. I got a bunch of crafty stuff done that needed to get done and in the mail. Only 37 more cards to go. LOL! Actually I doubt the list will ever end but I ticked some of them off today. It was rainy and dreary and the perfect day to hole up and craft. So here's one of the cards I finished for a dear friend that I used to work with who is celebrating her 50th wedding anniversary with her ever loving husband.

I used a Bugaboo image called Just Married (not able to find it in the store). I colored the image with Copic markers and added the 50 with Kelly Purkey sticker that I added Spectrum Noir sparkle marker. The image was die cut with MFT Inside and Out Stitched Rounded Squares. The flowers on the car are covered with Gold Stickles. The background paper is from the Paper Studio. The sentiment I bought at a second hand store and die cut it with MFT Pierced Fishtail Flags. I am entering these challenges:

• Catch the Bug challenge: it's all about the numbers
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• A Bit More Time to Craft: anything goes
• Friday Outlawz challenge: let's go riding
• Crafty Hazelnut Patterned Paper: used patterned paper

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. May your week be productive and crafty!

Donna

Guest Designer at The Outlawz

For the next two weeks I've been invited to be a guest designer at the CAS Outlawz challenge. This week the them is Halloween. I just received this new stamp set from Beccy's Place that is really great for Halloween.

The stamp set is called Toil and Trouble. It has several cute silhouette witches with several fun sentiments. I used one of the witches and one of the sentiments and then added some purple stars to match the outline color in between the image and orange card base. I hope you'll join us this week at The Outlawz CAS challenge. Make it easy peasy!
I am entering these challenges:

• Beccy's Place challenge: use a Beccy's Place image
• Creative Knockout challenge: Clean and Simple
• Koala T Crafts challenge: fantasy creatures
• Addicted to Stamps and More: holiday 
  
• Crafty Sentiments Designs: Halloween/Fall

Thanks for stopping by today. Looking forward to a busy week!

Donna

Halloween Treats

Happy Friday! A very quick post as I am heading out the door in 15 minutes for a dinner with friends. Life is really hectic lately. I made some Halloween treat packets today to give to the Head Start teachers. This is just two of them. I will have more later on.

Both of the images are from Bugaboo Stamps. The images were colored with Spectrum Noir markers and fussy cut. I made the little treat pouches from a 6x6 inch piece of black paper. No adhesive required. It's held together by the brad at the top. I used twine and ribbon for embellishment.

This is the backs of the treat holders. Frankenstein's sentiment is the Dreaded Wheat sentiment and the Happy Halloween is for the witch. Both sentiments are from Create with TLC. I added some Ghirardelli Chocolates in the pockets as the treats.

I am entering these challenges:
Bugaboo Catch the Bug: anything goes
Anything Goes with Create with TLC Element: use a TLC element (sentiments)
Addicted to Stamps and More: holiday

Simon Says Monday challenge: Not a Card

Bugaboo Crafty challenge: use a Bugaboo image

I am off. Thanks for dropping by. Hope to find more time this weekend but we'll see. LOL!

Donna

Hippo Bird-Day

Another week has almost come and gone. It's hard to believe how fast time flies. I am again low on birthday cards so I am back to making them again. Can you ever have too many birthday cards on hand? Anyway, here's my card for today.

I used the My Favorite Things Sketch as inspiration for this card. I used the MFT Happy Hippos stamps set and matching dies. These little critters are so cute! I used gray, yellow and pink as my primary colors. The pink gingham paper was scraps from my scrap box. The vellum background is cut with MFT Inside and Out Stitched Rounded Squares. I colored with Spectrum Noir markers and used a white gel pen for some accents.

I am entering these challenges:

MFT Sketch challenge: sketch above

Seize the Birthday: anything goes

2 Crafty Critter Crazies: use a critter

Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

Happy Little Stampers: anything goes with dies

Thanks for stopping by. I so appreciate it if you leave a comment. Hope you are moving into the weekend with lots of crafty time! Enjoy.

Donna

Thanks a Bunch

Happy Thursday! I promised a card using the new stamp set of the month at Imagine That! Digis by Kris. The stamp of the month is called Thanks a Bunch and can be yours for free if you enter a project in the Creative Playground challenge this month and use any image from Imagine That Digis by Kris. She has freebies so this is a win-win!

I am making 15 thank yous for the twins birthday gifts. These are the first three. I used the pre-colored images from the set and then I took two of the flowers from the flower bouquet and enlarged them. The designer paper is all scraps from my scrap box. And I used a Sizzix embossing folder to emboss the plain strip of paper. The image is die cut with Spellbinder's Heart Circles.

Today you can see my card and the other designer's cards over at The Creative Playground. Check out all the other DT cards! I am entering these challenges:

• Sketch Saturday: sketch 
  
• Inspiration Destination: anything goes
• Digi Choosday: anything goes
• Crafty Friends: anything goes
• Friday Outlawz challenge: fall flowers

Thanks for stopping by today. It's been a busy week so I hope to find some more crafting time soon. Take care!

Donna

Falling Leaves

Fall has arrived in our neck of the woods. It rained most of the day today and a lot of the leaves fell. I don;t send a huge amount of Halloween cards but sometimes I substitute fall cards instead of Halloween. So this card will probably be sent around Halloween in place of one of those kinds of cards.

The image is from QKR Stampede called Scarecrow and Leaves. I colored it with Spectrum Noir and Copic markers and die cut it with Gina Marie Designs Cross Stitch Rectangles. I popped the image up with foam tape. The background paper is from Basic Grey Indian Summer. I used Stampin' Up! Corner Punch from a scrap in my scrap box and some punched leaves that I've had in my stash for years. The sentiment is from Create with TLC. I used the Tuesday Morning Sketch for inspiration.

I am entering these challenges:

• QKR Stampede: autumn leaves
• Tuesday Morning Sketch: sketch above
• Anything Goes with Create with TLC Element: use an element from Create with TLC
• The Outlawz Thursday challenge: anything goes
• Crafty Sentiments Designs: fall or Halloween
• Sweet Stampers: autumn or Halloween

The twins birthday went really well except for one slight glitch. It was an outside party but it rained just as we were serving dinner. So everyone scrambled for the indoors and the party continued; we were just in closer quarters. Here is a picture of Arthur and Valerie enjoying their first taste of (sugar free) birthday cake. I was amazed they weren't more messy.

Just so you know how far they've come, here's a little comparison of where they started being born 5 weeks early.

Valerie

Arthur

You've come along way baby. Happy 1st Birthday, Valerie and Arthur.Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful week!

Donna

October Challenge at Imagine That Creative Playground

It's the first Saturday of the month and time for a new challenge over at Imagine That Creative Playground. You will definitely want to play along this month and use an Imagine That to get the free set. This new set was inspired by me! I love puns and I needed some thank you cards so I mentioned to Kris that I had some ideas. She's turning those ideas into actual stamp sets. The freebie this month was one of my ideas: Thanks a Bunch!

It wasn't my turn to use the set of the month this time but I'll have a card soon using this set so stay tuned. I used another set from Imagine That Digis by Kris called L'il Train Conductor. This is the card that I sent Arthur for his first birthday (yesterday). 

I colored the image with Spectrum Noir markers. For the Railroad signs I used the pre-colored images. This is a great set for a little boy. I die cut the image with MFT Stitched Circles and inked it with Tumbled Glass DI. The background paper is called Rain or Shine Digital Paper. Also from Imagine That Digis by Kris. 

Our challenge is always anything goes so any image is welcome but if you use an Imagine That image you get the stamp set featured this month. So come join us over at The Imagine That Creative Playground. 

I am entering these challenges:

• Outlawz Thursday: anything goes
• 613 Avenue Create: anything goes; option masculine
• Hiding in my Craft Room: freestyle
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

Today is the twins' first birthday party at our house so I am busy getting it together for lots of people. I'll be back tomorrow with some pictures! Thanks for stopping by today. Have an awesome weekend!

Donna

Shaped Camera Card

Whoops! I forgot I had a card to post today. My week is getting away from me as I get ready for the twins' birthday party on Saturday. So here is my shaped card for the Imagine That Creative Playground inspiration day.

I blew up the camera from the Snappy Sandy stamp set and then cut it out to make a shaped card. I used the pre-colored image but the heart shape is really a wooden heart colored with Spectrum Noir CR8. It was actually this sentiment that got me thinking about doing this. This is on the inside of the card:

Isn't that the most awesome sentiment? It really said something to me and then it popped into my head to use the camera to make a shaped card. The sentiment is from A Piece of Heart. I really love it! Hope on over to see some more inspiration today at The Creative Playground! I am entering these challenges:

• Inspiration Destination: anything goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: anything goes
• Digi Choosday: anything goes
• Crafty Sentiments Designs: anything goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by today. I am heading back to get more things ready for the big birthday party. And I will definitely be sharing pictures of the birthday babies!

Donna

Haunting Time

How has your week been so far? Mine started off pretty good yesterday but today I spent a lot of time sleeping trying to get rid of some kind of bug I've picked up. I hope it's just a 24 hour thing so I can go be with the twins tomorrow. Between last night and tonight I managed to get a card together.

The image is from QKR Stampede called Halloween Fun. I colored it with Spectrum Noir markers and die cut it with MFT Stitched Ovals. The background is made with Gina Marie Designs Quilt die and scraps from my scrap box. The sentiment is from Papercraft magazine and inked with Orange Marmalade.
I am entering these challenges:

• QKR Stampede: cut it up. use dies, punches, scissors, etc.
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Crafter's Cafe: dies and punches
• Alphabet challenge: O for oval
• Creative Knockouts: lots of layers
• The Outlawz Thursday challenge: anything goes

I am headed for bed early tonight. Thanks for stoppin by.

Donna

12 Month Christmas Link Up October Challenge

Happy October! What a happy month. I love the fall weather and the beautiful colored leaves. Two of my children were born in October: my oldest Tricia has a birthday October 2nd and my youngest, Steve, has a birthday on the 25th. My twin grandbabies were born October 6th and will be celebrating their first birthday this week. What's not to like about October!
And today starts a new challenge over at 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. This month our theme is anything goes. So easy! And our wonderful sponsor is Pattie's Creations.

Of course you also have a chance to win some fabulous paper by Decosse's Dynamite Doodles. 

And since this is October, you must be making Christmas cards, right? Now's your chance to play along and get some cards made for Christmas. I hope you'll join us.

These cute Merry Pups are from Pattie's Creations. I colored them with Spectrum Noir markers and added Diamond Stickles to their hats. They are die cut with My Favorite Things Inside and Out Stitched Rounded Squares and inked the edges with Mowed Lawn DI. The sentiment is from Anonymous Digital Stamps. I die cut it with MFT Stitched Circles. The background designer paper is from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles Eclectic Christmas 3 and the strip of textured paper is from DDD Holiday Hoopla Textured Paper.

I added some extra texture to the paper by embossing it with the Tiny Stars embossing folder from the Paper Studio. I used the My Favorite Things Sketch challenge for inspiration.

I am entering these challenges:

• MFT Sketch challenge: sketch above
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: anything goes
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas Extra: anything goes Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut Patterned Paper challenge: use patterned paper
• The Outlawz Monday challenge: anything goes

Please join us this month for the anything goes challenge at 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. Enjoy this beautiful month of October!

Donna