Christmas in {almost} June

I know... "where the heck have I been?"  Enjoying the time off, that's where!  Poot has been busy with the Abdallah Shrine Rodeo all week, so I've pretty much been single as of late :)  The fur-babies and I have had naps and snuggle time, and they've been keeping me company in my stamp room.  Ahhhhhh.  I could get used to this... except for the single part ;)

Real quick today... and super simple.  I've got to get back to my craft dungeon or nap... whichever comes first :)

Nothing like getting a jump on the ol' winter holiday cards :)  And this little snowman is one of my faves... I'm sure you recognize him from some previous cards.  He's so cute, and quick to color.

Stamps:  Hello Snow (retired), Ornamental Snowflakes

Paper:  White UltraSmooth, Premium white, & DCWV cardstocks

Ink:  Noir & Cote d'Azure Palettes

Other:  Scor-bug, white twill

Copics:  0, BV20, BG02, BG05, V99, YR18

If I do some more like this, I'll add a thin black mat behind the main image panel... it just needs a little pop.  I do love that blue color... so wintery :)

What do you think?

A challenge card...

Today's post is here:  HauntedDesignHouse

It's a fun one!

Need a cloud stamp?

How to make clouds from one of the Edge Designs border stamps (the bottom one in the set):

HDH040 - Beautifully Beastly Butterflies

Hoping your Monday is a nice one...

... since mine didn't start off very well!  The office was so hot & humid this morning due to the el-cheapo landlord turning the a/c off over the weekend.  When will people realize that it actually COSTS MORE and WASTES ENERGY to try to catch it back up to the appropriate temperature, than if you were to leave it on a steady even setting?!!?  Hellooooo?

ANYhoo... enough of my soapbox... on to the cute stuff!  Once again I grabbed this Wonder and Joy set from TAC.  LOVE it.  The kids are so freakin' cute.

And dig the flower... I punched a bunch of flowers from some kraft packing paper, cut the petals apart a bit and spritz them with some Glimmer Mist.  I attached them with a random green brad and kept fluffing the petals up as they dried.  LOVE it.  

Stamps:  Wonder and Joy

Paper:  kraft packing paper, Penelope, DCWV green, & white ultrasmooth cardstocks

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo

Other:  Amelia ribbon, Extra Jumbo Flower punch, EK Success edger punch, Scor-Bug, misc. brad & foam tape

Copics:  0, YG01, YG05, YR04, YR18, YR20, YR23, YR24, E000, E02, E11, E57, E59, V06, V09,

I love the flower so much, that we'll be making something with a few of those bad boys in my June Creative Class!!  Class nights will be June 8th & 9th in Gardner and on the 10th in Topeka... so if you are interested, shoot me an email:  barbi007@kc.rr.com  :)

What do you think?

Thank ewe...

... to the wonderful few that showed up to our open house today!  It was great practice for setting up my tables for future events & crops... hoping to get quicker and quicker with set ups!  I was hoping to unload more of my samples, but at least I've got gifts ready to go when I am in need!

On to today's bit-o-goodness :)  Isn't she sweet?  This little sheep is from a vintage stamp of the month that was released some time last year.  LOVE IT!  Look...at...that...face!  

She TOTALLY makes me smile.  

:)

See?

Stamps:  Great Greetings, Mini-bet, sheep (retired)

Paper:  Bazzill mono-reds, Lilly Anna pink, DCWV green, white ultrasmooth cardstocks

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo

Other:  EK Success edger punch, pearls (Recollections), random ribbon, foam tape

Copics:  0, YG01, YG05, BV20, RV10, RV13, E57

This little sweetie is now at my friend's boutique, waiting for a good home :) 

Well, I'm off to either try to be creative, or totally veg-out and watch movies... hmmmmm....

What do you think?

Happy 10 year anniversary...

... to Poot & I!  It doesn't seem like it's been that long... 

and then some days it DOES seem that long  :)   

And though he doesn't read my ramblings on the web, I'll send out a big 

"HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, POOT... LUV U... BIG KISS"  :)

Ok, last one...

... wedding card, anyway :)  And, this just so happens to be my favorite so far.  Super simple, clean lines, but with just enough foof to make me smile

:)

See?

The dress image is from another retired TAC set, the name of which I can't remember!  Someone was kind enough to send it to me along with a little church stamp from the same set... AND I can't remember who sent them to me either!  Horrible memory... what am I going to do when I get REALLY freakin' old... huh?  What?  Who are you?  Poot is really in for it... he's so totally hosed  :)

ANYWAY, back to today's goodness.  I picked up this BEYOND AWESOME fatty aqua ribbon from the Topeka scrapbook store sometime last year.  The whole 10 yd. roll was clearanced... yes... I have THAT much of it.  Ribbon makes me happy

:)

See?

Stamps:  Trendy Greetings, Linear Sentiments, unknown TAC image

Paper:  Premium white cardstock

Ink:  VersaFine Onyx

Colorant:  Prismacolors w/ mineral oil blending

Other:  fabulous ribbon, Stickles

And believe it or not, this card actually fits into a normal A2 envelope!  I was worried with the big o' bow, but all for not.   :) 

What do you think?

{que music} Dum dum da dum... da Dum da dum...

Happy Monday, y'all.  Yeah, I know... whatever.  It is icky & dreary here in the KC area... ya' know... the kind of weather that is PERFECT for staying in bed watching movies.

{sigh}

Well, since I can't do that, how about another wedding/engagement card?

I really like how this turned out.  I would have liked it BETTER if the cardstock matched the markers more in these photos... seriously looks waaaaaaay off!  And the glitter on her dress looks pink... uh, no... not supposed to.

The card front is cut short and the sentiment is actually on the inside of the card.  I LOVE that edger punch... just sayin'.

Stamps:  I Do (retired), Trendy Greetings, Linear Sentiments (dot border)

Paper:  Reece & Premium white cardstocks

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo, VersaFine Onyx

Other:  Icicle Stickles, EK Success edger punch, misc. ribbon & gems

Copics:  0, BG10, BG72, BG78, V99, E000, E00, E11

I love her dress... it's so fun to color and try to get the fabric folds right.  And in the light, this card is so wonderfully sparkly.

What do you think?

Wedding Season!

Yes... it is fast-approaching.  So yesterday I locked myself away for a little creative time to make several wedding/ engagement cards as requested by my
boutique buddy, Brenda at The Blue Bow 

{say that 10 times really fast :)}

These two may look familiar.  I loved THIS card so much, that I copied it and switched out the image & colors... me loves 'em... I don't know why.  I mean, the layout is super simple and there isn't a bunch of fluff... and you know how I like the fluff :)

Sorry folks, but the stamp is a retired one... I know!  I love it, too.  The cake and the bride images are part of the same set from back in the day... another set that I will have a tough time letting go... ever.  :)

I think the peach one is just lover-ly, don't you?  Reminds me of orange sherbet... how spring/summery is that?!  And I think the black really sets the colors off well.

Stamps:  I Do (retired), Tag Tidbits

Paper:  Core d'nations Black Magic, white ultra smooth & black cardstocks

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo

Other:  Cuttlebug embossing folder, Rectangles & Scallop Rectangle Nesties, circle punches, misc. ribbons & foam tape

Copics:  0, V01, V04, V06, R02, W2

Of course, the lilac one is pretty, too... I like how the shadow feathers out on this one.  OH!  And be prepared to see more wedding cards in my next couple of posts... they are way better than these :)

What do you think?

Blog Candy Alert!

Debbie at Passion for Crafts is having an AWESOME birthday blog candy giveaway!  Check it out HERE!

Another butterfly...

... gone vintage-y.  Sometimes I just love diggin' into my fabric & trim stash... it totally takes me back... back to WELL before I was born :)  This paper line does that for me, too, so why not put them together, right?

Stamps:  Life So Big

Paper:  Angelee SWIC, Angelee, brown, & white ultra smooth cardstocks, kraft packing paper

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo

Other:  misc. lace & trim (JoAnn's), misc. & PTI buttons, EK Success edger punches, Extra Jumbo flower punch, tan & white Scrapper's Floss

Copics:  YR20, YR23, YR24,W2, V01, V06, V09, G12, G21, G24, G85

See the swirly purple paper?  That is actually one of the die-cut tags from the Angelee paper pack... 

oh-so-pretty :)  And did you know that you can get this butterfly stamp set for ONLY $3.95 with a $30 purchase?  It is a set of three... click HERE to see the whole set... good thru June!

Sorry for the short post, but I'm off to do class prep for tonight & tomorrow... More Mimi magic lid box... should be fun!  And thanks, Angelia, for making the champagne cuppie cakes... tastee!!  

What do you think?

Boot-scootin'...

Yes, my friends... it's another country-fried card!  Very fitting since the Abdallah Shrine Rodeo is coming up SOON (May 27-29)!  And even though I'm an Aide Captain's Lady, I will not be helping out... sorry Sharon S., but you are just going to have to pick on someone else during this event :)  Miss me!  Big Kiss!
(sucka)

ANYway... on to today's papercraftiness:

CA-yoot, right?  Ever since I saw Angela's pink boot, I wanted to make one :)  And look... it's not even colored with Copics this time :)  Hello, Prismacolor pencils... have you missed me?  And see the border on the burgundy mat... I Scor-bugged it after using one of Tim Holtz's new edge dies.  LOVE it.  Don't THINK I won't be getting my creep on with those bad boys!  That's what I'm talkin'-bout.

Stamps:  Cowboy Boots, Petal Pack (25% off!)
Paper:  White Ultra Smooth, Amelia & kraft cardstocks
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo, VersaMark, Burnt Umber Palette
Colorant:  Prismacolor pencils w/ mineral oil & blending stumps
Other:  ribbon (HL), gems (Michael's), Scor-bug, Tim Holtz die, white gel pen

See the little round dashed cuts around the gems?  Well, originally I was going to put these cool button-type things on here, but I had already glued the panel down.  I had no idea how to get the prongs to close, so I took them off... I liked the cuts they left, though.  So I added a bit o' bling to the centers... me likey.

What do you think?

Swim dude...

Hard to believe I even made this card today... it was far too chilly for swimming around here!  But isn't he cute?  Nothing says summer like fins & floaties :)  And look at that hair... crazy.  I always pictured this little dude a redhead... don't ask... I don't know :)

Stamps:  Summer Boys, That Guy (retired)

Paper:  Frutti Fushion (retired), DCWV orange & lime, and white ultrasmooth cardstocks

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo

Other:  Crystal Lacquer, foam tape, misc. ribbon (HL), circle punches

Copics:  E00, E11, E57, YR04, YR18, YR23, YG01,YG05

I added a little lacquer to his goggles, fins & floaties... adds a little sumpin' sumpin' I think.

Well, tomorrow I've got a full day prepping & serving at the Shrine Ladies' Spring Tea... I even baked cookies today!  {GASP}  While you are hauling your hiney back into your chair after THAT newsflash, I'll share the super easy recipe for Lemon Crackle Cookies:

1 lemon cake mix

1 egg

1 8 oz. tub Cool Whip

1 Tbs. lemon extract (optional... but oh so good)

Mix together, drop into powdered sugar & roll into balls, place on greased cookie sheet, bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes (14-16 minutes if using stoneware)

Yeah... I know... not REALLY that homemade, but at least I actually had to turn on the oven :)

What do you think?

Butterfly birthday...

Happy Thursday!  It is so pretty today... far too nice to be inside (hush up, Laurie... we know I'm not an outdoorsey gal).  Maybe I should say, far too nice to be at the office :)  I've been coloring a bunch of butterflies lately, feeling Springy and all, so be prepared to see several butterfly cards in upcoming posts!

Me loves the kraft cardstock.  And you can put it with almost any color scheme, really.  I had colored these butterflies last weekend thinking that I would cut them out and use on different cards... BUT since I managed to line them up pretty good, I decided to use them together.  This is a limited edition stamp set available in May & June only!  You can check it out HERE.

The trick was to find those three colors in a paper line... yeah... good luck with that :)  I finally just ended up using Mimi paper with a splash of teal cardstock to tie them together... worked pretty good I think.  The main background panel was in my scrap pile already made up!  Yes... this is a scrap pile card... believe it or not.

Stamps:  Life So Big, Forever Friends (retired)

Paper:  Mimi (retired, but More Mimi would work!), Mimi & kraft cardstocks, misc. teal cardstock

Ink:  Tuxedo Memento, Burnt Umber Palette

Other:  EK Success edger punch, brown pearls (Michael's)

Copics:  BG72, BG78, YG01, YG05, RV13, RV14

One more card that goes into my birthday card stash... oh wait... I don't have a stash anymore!  So this is the START of my birthday card stash :)

What do you think?

A happy hello...

I love Spring.  Really I do.  Especially sleeping with the windows open & a chilly breeze blows the entire night.  The bad thing:  I just want to snuggle under the covers and not get up in the morning :)  I can't even count the number of times I hit the snooze button this morning!  What sucks worse?  Poot kept hitting HIS snooze button... and our clocks are not in sync... so every 3 minutes there was a freakin' alarm going off {ugh!}  Ok, maybe it was every 5 minutes.  Whatever it was... it was NOT a good thing :)

So, enough of a glimpse into my life for the moment... on to the fun stuff!  I had stamped this little flower onto a practice sheet whenever I had that Copic coloring class a while back, so I thought I'd use it.  And how ever-so-fitting for Spring, right?

Stamps:  Spring Dream, Tiny Tidbits, Swirlies, Petal Pack, and Linear Sentiments

Paper:  Lilly Anna, Cha Cha, Penelope, white ultrasmooth, & black cardstocks

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo, Raw Sienna Palette, VersaMark

Other:  Extra Jumbo flower punch, Scor-Bug, button, black Scrapper's Floss, black felt, EK Success edger punch

Copics:  YR20, YR23, YR24, E57, V01, V06, V09, G12, G21, G85

Tip #1:  Stamp a large flower (from Petal Pack) on the back of the black felt with a light chalk ink and then cut it out.  You don't have to buy a die or pre-made felt flowers!

Tip #2:  Be sure to use the edger punch before using the Scor-bug.  Some punches are hard to gauge exactly how much paper is cut off, and you don't want the border too close to the piercing.

Tip #3:  After punching the yellow flower, cut between petals towards the center half way.  Curl the separate petals under a bit with a chopstick or pencil for added dimension.

On a sad note... all of the stamps used for this card, except for one, are being discontinued!  On a happy note... you can get them for 25% off!

Ab Fab, right?  Want some more fabulous news?  A dear friend has JUST opened a new boutique at 4505 90th Street in Prairie Village, Kansas called The Blue Bow, and she has been selling my cards & creations!  She's already taken requests for additional items... I am so psyched! (as opposed to psycho)  I can't wait for her to get her website going... it is one of those eclectic decor & furniture boutiques... small, but sooooo much fun to get lost in :)  Good luck, Brenda!!

What do you think?

Zzzzzzzzzzz...

... man am I pooped!  I had so much fun at Crop-N-Doodle-Do's 3-day crop this weekend, but I'm tired... I can't imagine how the coordinator feels!  And the croppers were so much fun... some crazy... in a very good way!  My cheeks still hurt from laughing :)  I also managed to get a bunch of images colored for future cards... just not today's :)

Stamps:  Spunky Sprite Girls, More Abundance

Paper:  More Mimi, white ultrasmooth & brown cardstocks

Ink:  Burnt Umber Palette, Memento Tuxedo

Other:  jewel (JoAnn's)

Copics:  0, E00, E11, E57, E59, R02, RV10, RV11, BV20, YG05

Super simple, and super cute... doesn't she just make you smile?  :)   Thought this would make a cute congratulations or birthday card.

Well, I'm off to bed... hope you had a wonderful weekend!

What do you think?