Happy Birthday Lia

Lia is my new SIL.  My brother Steve, and Lia, live in Denver so I don't get much of a chance to visit them.  I'm sending her a "funny" card and this card for her "upcoming" birthday.

The free cutting file (Rose Card) is from Bird's Cards.  She's so generous to share her talent.  I added two flower die cuts ( Chloe Stem and Prim Poppy) from Memory Box.  The sentiment and punches are from Fiskars.  I also added lace, ribbon and stitching.

5x5, DCWV, stitching, die-cuts, Bird's Cards Rose cutting file

Sweet Cherry Tomatoes

My garden is planted and the tomato cards are made!  This is mid-month release day at Doodle Pantry.  One of the releases is the set Cherry Tomatoes!  It comes with all the trimmings: outline and colored image, sentiments and designer paper.  I've done several different versions.  Here is the one for today.

I colored with copics, used some scrap green rafetta, and just to be a little silly, added my own sentiment.  Yes, repeating two of them several times was "on purpose"!  haha   I kept it CAS!

A2, pop-ups, stitching, copics, rafetta

Nothing like a clean bird!

Yup, I'm still on a roll with birdies and birdbaths.  Watching the birds from my sunroom, they entertain me for quite a while with the washing and splashing in the 3 birdbaths we have in our little backyard garden. I must admit that I think I have some of the "cleanest birds in town"...haha

I'm using the pre-colored Birdie in Birdbath from Doodle Pantry.  I was inspired by Jan's sketch at She's Gone Digital .

A2, vertical, eyelets, twine, MB flower die, twine, scallop circle using Silhouette

Challenges:

CUT IT UP:  Wet

Baby Makes Three

I made a mistake and posted "Shopping for Two" when this is the one I wanted to post since Catch the Bug was having it's weekly Stella Says Sketch #34 challenge.  Oh well! UPDATE: I took down "Shopping for Two" and will re-post later this month....hope it works...haha (Challenges below)

AKV-Expecting is this week's freebie from Bugaboo Stamps. Hurry and get it while it's still free.  I tweaked the sketch to suit my needs. I TOTALLY CASED Lola's card.  Pretty CAS (clean and simple)!

A2, stitching, fuzzy cut dress, copics, MS punch, button

Stella Says Sketch #34

Challenges:

Great Impressions:  pastels and polka dots

Catch the Bug: Sketch

I danced like no one was watching....

(Inside):  My court date is next Friday.

Bah ha ha ha!   Now how could someone turn a beautiful sentiment into something silly? But, I have to admit, I hooted when I saw it.  So I did another card with Ballerina Eunice from Art Impressions and used the sentiment that my friend Lola sent me.

I did 4 of the these cards but each having tad different designer paper. (Nana Connie shared this great DCWV paper.)  I have several friends (2 males and 2 females) who could use a little extra laugh just about now.  The slippers, I thought, were from SVGCUTS, but they're not, but they have a great pair there for free.  The slippers are from  the Silhouette Store.

A2 horizontal, stitching, flower punch, pearl, pop-ups and copics

Same size, used Paper Studio paper pack...tears easy and not happy about that

Sentiment on the inside of each card

Challenges:

Crafty Card Makers: Humorous

Cards for Men:  Humorous ( Please don't reject me.  I'm sending the bottom card to my dear in-law who is very sick and each week I send him a funny card.  Eunice is not who I would call feminine.  If you do reject my cards...it's still going to him....haha)

Yum....blueberries!!!

We have blueberries in out backyard....not an orchard where we could harvest bushels, but enough to fill a gallon bag, minus fighting the birds for them.  I know when it is time to pick and guess what.....the birds know too!!!

Berry Nice Mice is one of Doodle Pantry's April's releases.  In the set: mice with blueberries (like mine) and some mice with raspberries in a different pose, lots of sentiments and super digital DP to boot.

We would love for you to join in on this month's Doodle Pantry's April Challenge.  Also, there will be a few more new releases in mid-April...so stay tuned.

Made mistake with measurements.  It is a 5.5x5.5 instead of a 5x5. I made the fence, vine and blueberry svg.

Side view, MS border punch, Poppy Stamp Grassland border die, pop-ups for dimension, window die is my svg and is for sale.

The Beauty of Dogwood Blossoms

Ahhh yes, the dogwoods are in bloom, temp is rising, loving the feel of the sun on my face and beauty of our dogwoods in bloom.

It's April Release Day at Doodle Pantry.  Stay turned for  another "release" toward the middle of the month.  I have the honor of creating with the Texas Dogwood Set. (It comes pre-colored/b/w, matching papers and sentiments.)  Be sure to participate in April's Challenge (starting at noon) in order to receive a pre-selected set and a chance to win some free sets.

All I chose to do was cut around the image, adding a lovely frame and including a pretty poem with the image on top...anything else would had taken away from the simplicity/beauty.  The process was pretty quick and easy, so I made 4 more to send to friends.

A2, stitching, pop-ups for dimension,  curling of blossoms, Cheery Lynn Japanese Garden die

Let me paint you a picture.....

....it's Spring, it's warm, it's my kind of year, will next to Summer!

Another Dearie Doll image "Daffodil Girl" by Mary Ellen....this is the last for this week, I think!  Yellow is a real challenge for me. However, when it works, I'm happy.

I've kept it CAS.  I'm joining the Lexi Creations Challenge #37 with this card.  I used the Fuchsia Sprig die from Memory Box, a 3" circle EK scallop punch, and a Fiskars open scallop border punch.

A2 horizontal, ribbon, stitching

Dust off the watering cans...

.....Spring is here!  Well, at least in South Carolina...yippee!

I used another sweeeeet Dearie Dolls images.  As I sit in my sunroom, I see the birds very busy taking baths in the birdbaths and making nests in some of our birdhouses we have scattered in our little backyard garden.

I got carried away and bought all sorts of charms on Ebay to use on my cards.  I thought this little watering can charm was the finishing touch it needed.

A2 horizontal, twine, scallop punches, stitching, watering can charm

Challenges: 

The Paper Players: Tic Tac Toe

613 Avenue Create: Anything with flowers

Addicted to CAS: Spring

Disdigidesigns challenge: Flowers

My Sheri Craft Challenge: Spring Has Sprung

Totally Gorjuss: Something blue

Word Play Saturday Challenge: Springtime

Bring on Spring

I used this same sketch yesterday for the Bugaboo Stella Says Sketch Challenge.  I enjoyed working with it so much that I made 3 more cards, but changing the image and some papers.  If it ain't broke, don't fix!

I really like using the sweet "free" images from Dearie Dolls. Mary Ellen is a very talented and generous lady.  She even post poems she's written.

A2 horizontal, stitching, raffeta, eyelets, pearls, Japanese Garden die foliage 

Sittin' n Thinkin'

It's time for me to pull out my lovable Bugaboo Stamps.  I have many colored but have not made cards.  I saw Stella Says Sketch Challenge #133 and knew it was time.  I made several cards with this fun sketch.

I used Itchy from Bugaboo Stamps and sat him in a chair image...also from Bugaboo.

A2 vertical, stitching, ribbon, flower punch, Cheery Lynn branch die, brads

Watch Me Grow...

This is my 5th paper scrapbook (double layout) page.  I will be stopping with this one until we find out if my son and DIL are having a boy or girl.  ( I also made the banner, elephants and frames in pink if we find out it will be a girl....haha)

I got the giraffe from Little Scraps of Heavens set called "Watch Me Grow"and the monkeys from Treasure Box Designs called "Going Bananas".  I made the elephant svg and can't remember where I got the tiny monkey cut file. I've been working on improving the eyes by watching videos by a lady from Peachy Keen.

12x12, left side, pop-ups for parts of giraffe and banner

right side, stitching, MB grass die, twine

Counting my Blessings.....

....along with my sheep! 

Some nights are harder to get to sleep than others.  As I begin to count the sheep I also start thinking of my blessings.  It makes me a little more humble at the times I'm having a "pity party"...haha

I have bought several wonderful sets from Designs on Cloud 9 for the future grandbaby scrapbook .. a work in progress!  This set is called "Counting Sheep".  I've enjoyed Evelyn's talents at CUT IT UP .  Her blog is having a challenge requiring a lamb or lion cut file.  This is good practice for one of my future layouts.  I also used a flower punch and a IO flower stem die.

5x5, stitching, copics, cloud punch, pop-ups
I swear the sheep does not have a sunburn!

Puppy Presents

My puppies don't always leave me such sweet presents....if you get my drift (sniff sniff)!

I just adore the new Puppy Presents set from Doodle Pantry March releases....so many to choose from.  I know you will be seeing a lot of merging with these darlings. 

I don't remember where I got the doghouse svg...oops!  I left the comment box blank for future use.  The cloud cut file is mine.

Jump in and participate in the Doodle Pantry Challenge and receive the "Easter Egg" set free...how great is that!

A2, stitching, Die-namics grass die, stem die, jewels, pop-ups, flower punch

BEE-utiful day for a birthday!

Warm days last week got our flowers and trees a bloomin! I haven't seen bees, but with flowers blooming, it's just a matter of time.

Our friends in Charleston share a March birthday with me.  Harry just completed a course in "bee keeping", so I thought this theme would be appropriate for his special day.  I love the little honeycomb and bee charm I won on Ebay.

I was inspired by a sketch found on Pinterest and a cut file at the Silhouette Store.  I used a Peachy Keen face stamp, along with a honeycomb embossing folder for wings, EK punches and twine.

A2 vertical, ribbon, stitching
Inside: Have a BEE-utiful Happy Birthday!

Challenges:

Paper Playtime- use a bee

Hoppy Spring....Hoppy Easter

I've been fixated on the tree trunk hole for several cards.  This is my last one..haha  I used the rabbit from the Doodle Pantry, Critter Tops set.  It comes pre-colored and b/w images with lots of critters.

I am entering this in the challenge "Bring on Spring" at Chocolate, Coffee, Cards.

A2 vertical, stitching, 3 dies from Poppy Stamps and Memory Box,  copics,  pop-ups

side view to see dimension, Holtz tree bark embossing folder

It's Sew GRAND (and announcement)

I can finally announce... "I'm going to be a GRANDMOTHER"!!!  I have known for a month and was sworn to secrecy.  Do you have any idea how hard it is to be told you are going to be a grandmother "for the very first time" and then be told you can't tell ANYONE for a month!!!!! It was killing me.

On my blog posts, I was going on the premise that I was finally doing a scrapbook for my youngest son.  It was a good reason for keeping the colors neutral.  I will do a scrapbook for my son, but this one is for the new 1st grandbaby.  I won't do anymore pages until we find out the sex so I can make at least 5 pages very pink or very blue...haha  In the meantime.....as for my dear son Mitchell, I will start working on his 1st year scrapbook now....he just turned 19 last week!

( There are 3 sets of GRANDparents and 3 great-GRAND parents so this is a page I dedicated for us and them.)  So....ain't it GRAND!!!

12x12, Say Cheese from Kadoodle (retired), Crafty Mice from SVGCUTS

button punch from MS, zig zag punch from EK Success

I'm on vacation

I've been away this week enjoying myself at the beach...well..Mt. Pleasant...right on the coast.  It's a much needed break!  I'm enjoying the scenery, smells of the salt air, the marsh and the sounds of the shore birds.  Oops!  Forgot to mention the wonderful seafood and the Judson's, whom I stay with and cook wonderful meals for me.  My little piece of paradise is right here!!!

Paint yourself a Happy Easter

I have always loved colors and paints...just hate painting walls in my house!  Art was my major in high school and one of my majors in college.  I was born too early....I love computer, digital and graphic arts...no such thing back in 19...   haha

Easter Ants is one of Doodle Pantry's March releases....love'em!!!  I used the pre-colored version for my swing card.  I made all the cut files (paint bucket, paint brushes and clouds). With the help of some copics, stitching and pop-ups, I am happy with the results.

A2 size, also used Poppy Stamps grass die

used a bird charm and this is another way to display swing card

1st Christmas Memories

I continue with my scrapbook pages.  I have completed 5 double pages and have posted two of them.  Today, I'm posting my 3rd page ....1st Christmas Memories.  I can't decide which page to put on the left or right.  It could go either way.....what's your opinion?

I made many of the svgs because I couldn't find where to buy them, so drawing and changing into svgs took a long time.   I cased Stacie at Tori Belles Creations again, but included my own personal touches.  I was inspired by the fireplace by Designs on Cloud 9 called "Waiting for Santa".  I'm pretty sure it was from Treasure Box that I got the "freebie bear" svg.  The darling "Emalina Elf" sitting on his own little shelf is from Paper Pretties.  Enough details...haha

12x12, stitching, ribbon, train from Silhouette, old AC Christmas paper

reindeer punch, my own Santa and sleigh, Barking Dogs Christmas ball, forgot where I got the fire, Darcia embossing folder