HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hi, thanks for stopping by and I hope you're having a Happy 2014 so far!

My project for this week was to use a new product and/or a new technique to make a project.  I decided to make a cute little card.  Our sponsor this week over at The Outlawz Saturday Paper a la Mode Challenge is A Random Fan, so I got one of their sweet digis.  I used Prismacolor pencils to color my digi.  I also attempted a new background technique for sky and clouds, but it turned out nothing like my original intentions had planned.  The colors look nice with the digi, but it really wasn't the look I was going for.  Obviously I need to get some extra practice!

Be sure to stop by A Random Fan's Etsy shop and check out their sweet digis to support our sponsor.

Thanks for stopping by, and I pray that 2014 brings you showers of God's blessings!  See you next time!

A BLUE ALLIGATOR FOR CHRISTMAS

Hi, and thanks so much for stopping by!  This week's challenge over at The Outlawz is to make a project with a non-traditional theme.  Our sponsor this week for the Saturday Paper a la Mode Challenge is Bugaboo Stamps.  Bugaboo has the cutest digis, and this cutie pie alligator, swinging on a candy cane, was last week's freebie.  Isn't he sweet?

Well, he's BLUE because he misses somebody, so he's a bit non-traditional in his blue-ness.  Yes, I used some traditional colors too (lots of red, because I just am mentally incapable of going fully non-traditional), and I added some traditional snowflakes, but what is life without snowflakes, plus I had lots of extras from a recent project and I happen to like them, so there you go!

If you get a chance, stop by the Bugaboo Stamps site and get yourself some digis.  They have a new freebie every week, so even if you don't have the funds to buy something right now, you can still enjoy their great artwork!

Thank you for stopping by to visit!  I wish you a Merry Christmas filled with love and blessings!  Big hugs!

S IS FOR SANTA

Hi!  Thanks so much for stopping by to visit!  Busy, busy, busy - that's what everybody seems to be these days.  But this cute Santa digi (Santa Naptime) from Rick St. Dennis has done all his work and he's ready for some "Peace On Earth"!  I colored him with Prismacolor pencils, and kept the colors just the standard Christmas colors or simply white - didn't want all the conflicting detailed colors.  Everything blends nicely with the background patterned paper and cardstock colors.  I added Diamond Stickles to is fur trim, but it just doesn't photograph well.  I added a few touches of bling with some gems - I do love my bling!

Rick St. Dennis is our sponsor this week over at The Outlawz Saturday Paper a la Mode Challenge, so please check out his wonderful digital stamp designs at his Zibbet site.  I love his work - so much beautiful detail with a touch of humor.  I admit to not being a fan of his "creepy" lines, but he's got a wonderful selection that has plenty to offer even the most discriminating artist!

Thank you so much for stopping by to visit!  Hopefully if you've been busy, busy, busy this Holiday season, you can find time to get some Zzzzzz's like Santa this weekend!

Big hugs and showers of blessings to you!

GETTING READY, AND A LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS CARD

Hi, glad you stopped by!  I know everybody is so busy this month - just seems like there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done.  I'm actually just about done with my holiday shopping - just a few stocking stuffer type things to gather up and I'll be pretty much done.  But then I've got to get some packages mailed, Christmas cards in the mail, ...

I love making Christmas cards!  And I like to make each one different - I can't stand the repetition of makiing a bunch of the same thing - takes all the fun out of it for me.  Of course it's a lot faster and takes a lot less thought, but I just can't do it.

This week we are having a "Last Minute Christmas Card" Challenge over at The Outlawz for our Saturday Paper a la Mode Challenge.  I had some Tim Holtz stamps that I had never used and some leftover diecut snowflakes from a couple of weeks ago, so tried to get a bit creative.  I outlined the Santa in the large stamped image with some green Copics to add a bit of color, and I put just a teeny bit of color in his face and hands.  I also added some color to the ticket stamp.  It didn't take me long to pull this together, so I guess it fits the bill for "Last Minute".

Thanks again for stopping by, and I hope that your Holiday preparation are going smoothly, and that you take the time to enjoy the sights, sounds, and scents of the Season!  Hugs and blessings to you!

THANKSGIVING AND A COPYCAT CHALLENGE

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope wherever you were and whoever you were spending time with, you had a day full of joy and blessings!  I know I did!  Here are some pictures of my two kids around the dining table full of food - can you believe I cooked all of that just for the three of us?  We'll be eating a lot of leftovers for the rest of the long weekend, that's for sure!

This week over at The Outlawz Saturday Paper a la Mode, we are having a "Copycat" challenge.  We all had the same digi image from the lovely Anne Fenton, and we all used that same image for our projects.  Isn't that fun???  Here's mine.  I have to admit that I still need a lot of practice on my Copic coloring skills, but it was such a cute design that Anne did for us, I still love it, even if I don't love my coloring quite so much!

I am so thankful to God for every blessings He has given me!  Jesus, my two wonderful children, my home, nature, my family and friends, and on and on and on.  I may not have much money, but I am rich in the joys of life!  I hope you are too!

Thanks again for stopping by!   Big hugs to you and showers of blessings!

DIE CUTS

Hello, and thanks for stopping by!

This week our Saturday challenge over at The Outlawz Saturday Paper a la Mode is to use diecuts and punches for our projects.

I made this card using a die set from Spellbinders.  I had some glitter cardstock in my stash, and used that for some of the snowflakes - I do love my bling!  The background snowflakes are stamped using a Tim Holtz stamp that I have had for years.  It's one of my alltime favorites!

Nothing like some pretty snowflakes to bring in the Season!

Thanks again for stopping by, and hugs and blessings to you!  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones!

STARS UPON THARS!

Hi!  Thank you for stopping by to visit!

I just love this time of year - I can get out all my Christmas/Winter crafting stuff and just go to town!  This week I needed to make a project that uses a star and/or a snowflake.  I wanted to do something other than a card, so I put my thinking cap on and came up with a little door hanger project - L is for my last name.  Conveniently, L is also the unit my son is in at Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, so I will let him take this back to school after Thanksgiving break to use as a decoration in the dorm if he wants to.  It's a bit "girly" for him, but I guess he can always tell everyone that his mom made it!

I used a chipboard letter, covered it in some paper, and added a few rubons and some snowflakes.  I also used some pretty gold ribbon for the hanger.

I used a chipboard star, covered it in tiny glass beads, then made some beaded drops to hang from several of the points.  Can't have too much bling!

 

The first picture is of it hanging on my front door. This next photo is more of a closeup of the star and the beaded drops.

   

 This final photo zooms in on a portion of the star, so you can see the detail of the glass beads. I love those things, although they're a bit of a mess to work with. I'm sure I got quite a few on my craft room floor - hopefully the cats don't think they're something yummy to eat!

   

I got a new camera! Can you tell? I sure can - seems like my photos are so much better. I haven't figured out how to use it other than on the "auto" setting, but why even bother when the auto does such a good job! And here's one last picture of me and my son, Chris, on Veterans Day. I went down to Blacksburg to visit him, and a really nice lady working in the Burger King offered to take out picture. I love my son's pose - so much swagger!

  

Thanks again for stopping by! Hugs and showers of blessings to you!