Happy Birthday, Chloe!

Today is my niece Chloe's birthday.  She is just 3 months older than my daughter Kaylie, so I chose to use the red paper and image (Kaylie's favorite color) from Doodle Pantry's Balloon Ants set and Kaylie's favorite sentiment from this set for Chloe's card.  I figured if Kaylie liked it, then Chloe would too, right?!  The ribbon is from American Crafts.  The die cuts are Nestabilities from Spellbinders.

Dustin Pike & Bo Bunny

Okay, have you ever had one of those days?  What about one of those weeks?  I'm hoping that my string of bad luck has run out.  Don't they say that bad things come in 3's?  Well, I'm past due for good since I count 4 rotten things since Sunday! 

Let's count together:
1.  My cute little VW bug died as I was entering a traffic circle on Sunday.  OMG!  People drive so crazy on traffic circles anyway - not the best place for your car to decide to just stop running.  I found an open Pep Boys shop and replaced the battery.  They gave me no guarantees that that was the cause of the problems, but in my opinion it couldn't hurt since it didn't test at 100%.
2.  On Monday, I broke my pinkie toe while substitute teaching in kindergarten.  Lesson learned: kindergarteners cannot listen and walk at the same time.  When the child stopped cold in her tracks as I was talking quietly to her about, of all things, being sure she was all the way in the bathroom BEFORE pulling her panties down, I ran right into the back of her tennis shoe!
3.  Tuesday was my birthday - Thank goodness we celebrated on Sunday evening on my husband's birthday.  I'm in charge of a very large school fundraiser that is expected to raise $17,000 in one evening of Carnival fun, and I got some very bad news that day about new policies that prevent us from publicizing the event the way we have in the past.
4.  Wednesday was kind of the cherry on top of the pile of bad!  I left school after a really rough afternoon with the first graders, and my not-so-cute-anymore VW bug wouldn't start.  I had to have it towed to the VW dealership, and it may be the fuel pump - more money, more aggravation.

Wonder what tomorrow has in store for me?  They say, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!"  I think I'm going to be as strong as Superman.

So...what does my tale of woes have to do with Dustin Pike and Bo Bunny?!  By the end of the day yesterday when I made this card, I totally felt like this cat (a pre-colored image from Dustin Pike).  But, Bo Bunny paper (Peacock Lane collection) always makes me feel happy!

Bugaboo Dual Challenge

This week Bugaboo is offering up a dual challenge - not one, but two challenges.  One is a sketch challenge (see sketch below my card) and the other is a color challenge (pink, green and black).  You can do either/or OR you can do both.  Having always been an overachiever, I decided to take on both challenges!  I love the pink, green and black color combo AND sketch challenges are some of my favorite, so it wasn't hard for me to combine the challenges.

I used a Bugaboo digital image called Coffee Time...May Your Cup, patterned paper from Echo Park, pink cardstock from Bazzill, and Viva Pearl Pen.  The Copic markers I used on my image are: RV21, RV23, RV25, YG11, YG33 and E33.

Designed 2 Delight - Autumn Mums

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!  Yes, today is my birthday and I figured that I deserved a little shout out.  I'm 46 years old today...unbelievable!  Where has the time gone?  Just a minute ago I was 35 and getting married.  And just before that I was in my 20's, and my whole life was in front of me.  Hmmmm, maybe being closer to 50 than to 40 is making me feel like I'm on the "downside" of being over the hill.

Anyway, on to happier thoughts, like this beautiful fall image from Designed 2 Delight for the Friday Image Challenge.  I loved coloring these Autumn Mums.  The set includes potted mums, mums alone and 3 sentiments - what a deal if you didn't get it for free for playing along last week.  The paper has been around in my collection for quite some time - it's Chatterbox.  I used 2 Nestabilities dies around the image and 2 different border punches in order to qualify for the Designed 2 Delight Design Team Saturday Challenge Die Cut Divas as well.

 Copic Markers:
flowers: YR04, YR07, Y15
leaves: YG11, YG13
vase: E33, E35, E37, Y11, Y15

Hambo Hoedown - Pig Sub for OWH

This week the folks at Hambo Hoedown sent us (those of us who played along last week, that is) this cute digi called Pig Sub.  The challenge was to make a card for Operation Write Home.  As my 8-year-old daughter says, "Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy" since almost every card I make is for Operation Write Home.  They always need general themed cards that can be used throughout the year, so I decided to pair this underwater piggy with Echo Park Splash paper and a thank you stamp from Stampin' Up which I thought completed the Hambo sentiment perfectly.  I wanted to make a Yellow Submarine and when I showed that 8-year-old daughter of mine the card, even she broke out into song.  How did she know about a song that was released when her mommy was just 3 years old?!

Now that I'm starting to color with Copic markers, here are the numbers I used on this image:
RV21, RV23, Y11, Y15, N1 and E02

Heart Sheep - Doodle Pantry

As promised, it's a week full of Doodle Pantry.  Here is a glimpse of my other favorite "character" from Doodle Pantry - the sheep.  This pre-colored image from the Heart Sheep set makes a great Love card for Operation Write Home when paired with paper from We R Memory Keepers.

Happy Birthday to my husband Kyle who is turning the big 5-0 today.  I love you, honey!

Cowboy Birdie #3 - Doodle Pantry

Here's the last Cowboy Birdie card I made last weekend - but it probably won't be my last ever since he's so darn cute in his hat and boots!  Can I get a "Yeehaw?!"

Cowboy Birdie #2 - Doodle Pantry

Here's my second Cowboy Birdie card of the week.  Check back on the post from Wednesday, 9/21 for links to the products used on the card - all from Doodle Pantry!

Batty for You - Doodle Pantry

When I saw this image and sentiment from Doodle Pantry, I thought it was perfect for a Hall-no-ween card for Operation Write Home.  What is a Hall-no-ween card you ask?  Why, it's a card that uses a Halloween image but doesn't say "Happy Halloween" anywhere on it.  This card is, in fact, a LOVE card so it can be sent to our deployed troops to write home on all through the fall months!  Gotta love a card with a long shelf life when you make cards that take a while to go from the US to deployed troops overseas and back to the US again!

This card uses the Birdie Bat pre-colored image set along with digi papers from the Western Digi Paper Pack (blue paper) and Balloon Ants Digi Paper (red/white polka dots).  The black buttons are from my stash and the red/white twine in the buttons is from My Mind's Eye Lime Twist.

Cowboy Birdie #1 - Doodle Pantry

I can't tell you how much I love Doodle Pantry images and digital papers!  This is going to be a Doodle Pantry kind of week, all the way through the weekend.  I guess I'll go ahead and enter this (my favorite of the 3 Cowboy Birdies you'll see this week) in the Doodle Pantry Digital Challenge 16.  I didn't find anything that set a limit on the number of cards I could enter in this challenge, but I've entered quite a few so I may have hit my limit.  We'll see!

Today's image is Cowboy Birdie.  The sentiment came with the set along with several other really cute ones.  The digital paper is from the Western Digi Paper Pack.  I used Nesties to cut out my sentiment.  The red cardstock is from my stash (believe it or not, that stash is starting to get smaller!).

Designed 2 Delight - Happiness Blooms image

This week Faith at Designed 2 Delight has given us (those of us who played along last week, that is) another free image for the Friday Free Image Challenge.  It's called Happiness Blooms. 

The patterned papers are from The Paper Loft, and the sentiment is from Stampin' Up.  I colored the image with Copic markers.  Currently I'm enrolled in an online class to learn how to use Copic markers, but I'm waiting for my order of markers that should be here on Tuesday so I'm limited to the colors you see on this card right now.  Don't critique my coloring yet...I don't have enough colors nor have I practiced enough yet.  Below the card you can see my first attempt at learning how to shade an image using pencil.  Hopefully over the weeks and months to come, you'll be able to see some improvement in my technique!

Happy Birthday, Max!

Today is my nephew Max's birthday.  I used Doodle Pantry's Balloon Ants set to complete this card and threw in a bit of American Crafts ribbon for good measure.  It was screaming for some bling by the sentiment, but since it's for a high school boy, I refrained and put some masculine nailheads on instead!

I am entering this card in the Doodle Pantry Digital Challenge 16 and the OWH Midweek Throwdown - A Bug's Life.

Hambo Hoedown - House 2 digi

This week's Hambo Hoedown Challenge is to use the free digital image of the house that we received for playing the previous week AND to use a household item somewhere on your card.  Wow, what a challenge!  I knew I had to think of something small and I didn't want to "copy" any of the incredibly creative ideas that I had seen the awesome Hambo Design Team use on their samples.  So, I went with toothpicks and used them on my porch steps - wooden steps leading up to a great big wood plank porch - something I've always wished for!  All of the papers I used are from the My Mind's Eye Lime Twist collection called Fly A Kite.  The whole Lime Twist line is so cute, but I was trying to keep this card a bit more masculine with the Fly A Kite paper pad.  Hope you like it!

Stampin' Up Prehistoric Pals

I'm trying to do as many of the challenges from last weekend's OWH Virtual Card Making Party as possible, but I'm not trying to meet any deadlines, that's for sure!  This pocket card was made for my daughter's birthday party invitation a few years ago, but I've never posted it on my blog.  I was going to create a new card based on this invitation, but there just isn't enough time in one weekend to get everything done!  I used all Stampin' Up supplies: paper, ink, stamps. 

This invitation works for two of the VCMP challenges:
Challenge #1 - Garanimals (make a card for a child with animals on it)
Challenge #8 - Take the Scenic Route (create a scene using at least 3 different stamps-I used 5!)

Happy Birthday Little Man

We have lots of birthdays to celebrate this month.  I'm not sure if I will send this to Operation Write Home or use it for a friend's birthday.  My dilemma is that I don't know if a 9-year-old boy really wants to be referred to as "little man" anymore - probably not!  I may have to send it to Operation Write Home so that one of our deployed servicemen or women can use it to send home to a younger than 9-year-old boy.  LOL

The image is from Cuddly Buddly (click on the link - lots of freebies!) and the patterned paper is from Shabby Green Door's Farmer's Market collection.  I used OWH Stars & Stamps sketch #57.

God Bless America

When I made my card to post on 9/11, I made a second one which also used a Doodle Pantry image and patterned paper (the red cardstock is from my stash).  I wanted to share it with you today.  God Bless America and God Bless Our Troops who stand in harm's way every day, not just on anniversaries of tragic events.  Let us not forget them!

I'm entering this card in the Doodle Pantry Digital Challenge 16.

Designed 2 Delight - Autumn Harvest image

This week at the Designed 2 Delight Friday Image Challenge we were given the perfect image for a fall card called Autumn Harvest.  So, I used my DCWV Harvest Gathering Matstack which has some awesome fall hues in it.  I love this deep turquoise-like color paired with the browns and oranges of fall leaves.

Happy Birthday, Lily!

It's my niece's birthday today - the first of many family birthday's this month.  I made a card for her using Doodle Pantry's balloon ants (pre-colored) along with digital paper that came in the same set.  The sentiment is also from Doodle Pantry's Rounded Wishes.

I am entering this card in the Doodle Pantry Digital Challenge 16.

Hambo Hoedown - Flowers digi

This week Autumn is in the Air at the Hambo Hoedown.  We were given the flowers digi as part of the progressive challenge and asked to use fall colors and hues on our cards.  My card is paper pieced using We R Memory Keepers Maple Grove collection of papers.  I used Bic markers to color the flower stems.

Challenges entered:
Hambo Hoedown 32
OWH Midweek Throwdown-Autumn
OWH Virtual Card Making Party Challenge #2 - Celebrating Nature

United We Stand

We Will Not Forget.

In memory of those who lost their lives on 9/11/01 and those who have given their lives since then to protect our country from terrorists, I dedicate today's blog post to you.  Thank you!

Card Recipe:
Image, Patterned Paper and Sentiment - Doodle Pantry
Button Die Cuts - Cheery Lynn Designs Buttons #3
Oval Die Cuts - Nestabilities by Spellbinders Small Oval and Small Scalloped Oval
Ribbon - from stash
Floss in buttons - We R Memory Keepers

Dustin Pike's Monkey Birthday #2

This card uses all of the same materials as yesterday's card, but I used a different Nestabilities die cut from Spellbinders.  I think I prefer yesterday's card over today's, but you be the judge!

Dustin Pike's Monkey Birthday # 1

Lots of birthdays in my family this month!  Here's a card using Dustin Pike's Monkey Birthday (pre-colored), digital paper from Doodle Pantry and a sentiment from Stampin' Up.  I also used sketch #83 from the Stars and Stamps blog again!

Dustin Pike's Knight Dudley Dragon

My 8-year-old daughter Kaylie is into unicorns and dragons lately, so I paired Dustin Pike's Knight Dudley Dragon (pre-colored) with the perfect sentiment from Making Our Mark.  The digital papers are from Doodle Pantry and the sketch is #83 from the Stars & Stamps blog.  Enjoy - I hope it makes you giggle!

Doodle Pantry Digital Challenge 16 - Super Birdie

I love, love, love me some Doodle Pantry so I'm entering this in the Doodle Pantry Digital Challenge 16.  On this card, I combined the pre-colored Super Birdie with the Primary Patterns Digi Paper Pack, both from Doodle Pantry.  I loved this paper so much that you saw it on a recent post with a Designed 2 Delight image and will see it for the rest of this week paired up with images from other companies!  I used Stars & Stamps sketch #83 rotated just a bit.  You will see this sketch over the next few days as well.  When you find things you like, you might as well stick with them, right?!

Designed 2 Delight - Falloween Cat

It's the first week of the month which means if you're not on board the progressive challenge over at Designed 2 Delight, here's your opportunity to join in for FREE!  This week Faith is giving away to EVERYONE this cute Falloween Cat.  If you've been playing along like me, then you received the entire incredibly cute set for free.  So, join in while you can!

Here's my card using the Falloween Cat and a sentiment that came with the set.  The papers are some 6x6 papers that I've had hanging around for quite a while, but I don't know who they are by.  I used my Nestabilities to cut out the sentiment and the scalloped oval behind it.  You know that I love sketches, so I used a sketch from Cupcake Craft Challenges that I turned on its side as my inspiration for this card.  A picture of the sketch is below the card in case you like sketches, too!

Hambo Hoedown - Alien Spaceship Digi

This week's Hambo Hoedown takes us to another dimension - literally (the image) and figuratively (by using dimension on our cards).  I had just the perfect paper from American Crafts to go with this cute Alien Spaceship Digi from Hambo Stamps.  When I saw the image and the challenge, I knew that I wanted to try the Tilt Card technique that I had seen at Splitcoast Stampers.  I gave it a whirl, but I'm not sure what I did wrong.  It doesn't tilt on its own - I kind of have to help it to move....BUT it does move which is saying something!  Here's proof - in one picture the spaceship tilts to the right and in the other picture it tilts to the left.

First Day of School Photos

I didn't want to break my streak of posting to my blog every day, but I've been so swamped with substitute teaching jobs and being co-chair of our school carnival that I spent the whole day catching up on chores around the house and didn't even get to peek into my craft room today.  I'm hoping to get some crafting done tomorrow morning before spending the rest of the day with friends we haven't seen since school began!

Since my daughter is now a card maker as well, I thought I'd share photos of her from the first day of school.  She is in the 3rd grade and has Mrs. Goldman as her teacher this year.

Happy Three-Day Weekend to you all!

Fall Card #3 with DCWV paper and Doodle Pantry image

Here's card #3!  For details, look back at my post on September 1.  Now that it's Labor Day weekend, it's time for me to get busy making cards for next week's blog posts!  Sorry for the brevity of the posts this week, but I actually subbed at school every day this week - WOW, that doesn't happen often.

Fall Card #2 with DCWV paper and Doodle Pantry image

Here's card #2!  For details, look back at my post on September 1.

Fall Card #1 with DCWV paper and Doodle Pantry image

This past weekend, I made several cards using the DCWV Harvest Gathering mat stack.  I used sentiments from Doodle Pantry's Pumpkin Birdie pre-colored set along with a variety of Nestabilities dies.  Here is card #1!