Valentine Treat Boxes for the Grands

I made these little 4x4.5 treat boxes for the grandkids and filled them with Valentine M&M's. One bag of candy fills 4 boxes this size, so I'll make one for my DH at a later time :) I used BoBunny Crush and Crazy Love dsp for all 3, adding scraps of red, pink, and bubblegum pink card stock. I added a double heart on each one, made with Spellbinder's Classic Hearts dies, and punched a tiny tag for each one, hand-writing the girls names and adding a tiny heart. The 2 boxes on the left have a brad in the center, and the one on the right was a little glittered heart that came in an order as a freebie, and it perfectly matches the glittered ribbon I used.
I'm entering these boxes into the Tuesday Throwdown #83 which is to use "hearts." I think each of these treat boxes meets the challenge :)
Enjoy your Tuesday and thanks for the little visit today :)

Carol

Love is in the Air!

Hello, happy Monday, and welcome to another fun Stamps R Us challenge! This week we're challenging you to make love-themed or Valentine cards, and Robyn's Fetish is our sponsor. She's generously provided the DT with some  great digi images to use for our challenge, and the one I'm using is called "I Toadily Luv U."
I colored this with Copics and mounted it using Spellbinders square and scalloped square dies, along with some Cherry Cobbler card stock and Basic Grey dp. The female frog looked a bit distracted from the male frog's presenting his heart to her, so I stamped a few flies swarming around her head just for fun. She seems to be thinking "hmmmm.........tasty flies or love?" LOL The twin hearts on the sentiment panel were done with a Tonic paper punch.
I hope you'll have time to play along with our love/valentine theme, and as always, you'll have 2 weeks to upload your card. Don't forget to check all the great inspiration you'll find from the rest of the DT's creations right here.
Thanks for stopping by and I wish you all a love-filled day!

Carol

OWH Sketch challenge #106

I made this one for the OWH Sketch challenge #106 found here. I used SU's Extreme Snowboarder image and stamped it with Versamark, adding clear detail ep to give it a little shine. I sponged the background clouds with Ranger tumbled glass ink, and added some sprays of stickles to the sides of the board to look like glistening snow. The cardstock base is Rustic Cream from PTI and I embossed it with a Sizzix Snowcap ef. The black border on the side is from the SNSS Hearts & Stars scallop border dies. I tweaked the sketch a little bit and added a sentiment from the SU! So Many Sayings set, because the bottom of the card just looked unbalanced. I frayed the ends of the ribbon  just to coordinate with the sporty theme of this card.
I always enjoy having you spend a little of your day here with me, and I  appreciate your taking time to leave comments too! Have a fabulous Sunday!

Carol

SNSDC38 Dessert Element

Happy TGIF day and welcome to the SNSDC38 challenge to add a dessert element to your card. I don't think there's a better dessert around than a yummy sundae, so I'm using Cocoa's Sundae digi image for the challenge. The image was colored with Copics, and I used a MS goo punch for the drippy borders, and a SU fancy scallop punch for the top border. The little heart was made with my Cricut and the dsp was given to me but I don't know who makes it. I used a spica glitter pen and some glossy accents for the cherry on top just for a little fun.
You do not have to use a SNSS digi image to play along with us, but you must use a digi image. As always, there's a nice prize to be won if you play along with us all month! Please tag your creations with SNSDC38 when uploading to the galleries.
Have a fun Friday and a great weekend too! Thanks for stopping by!

Carol

Tuesday Throwdown #82 - Charms

I made this card for the Tuesday Throwdown #82 challenge to add a charm to your card. I also used the SSS142 sketch with a spin to make a non-traditional Valentine. With the colors of purple and green, I'm sure this can be considered non-traditional ;)
I'm using a SNSS digi image and sentiment for my card, along with some polka dot dsp from Recollections. I matted the panels with PTI new leaf card stock and added some matching green ribbon. The key charm is from 7Gypsies, and the purple ribbon I've had forever. The purple twine came from a now-closed online store (stampersdream) and the mint green background was embossed with the seeing spots ef by CB. I used Copics to color the image.
If you're looking for the C4C34 challenge, it's right here, or one post below this one.
Wishing you all a wonderful Thursday, and thanks for stopping by!

Carol

Crazy4Cocoa Challenge #34 - One for the Girls

Good Morning Cocoa fans and friends! It's time for another Crazy4Cocoa challenge, and this week the challenge is to create a feminine card. I used the Sweet Stop sketch #SSS142 for my card, along with the PamperMeCookie digi image and made a feminine card for a "sister" by adding the tiny tag. The image was colored with Copics, cut with a spellbinders square die and matted with black. The pink and polka dot dsp's are scraps from my bin, and the background was embossed with a Sizzix powdered sugar folder. The ribbon is from my stash and I used the Bow-easy to create the bow.
As always, please keep in mind that if you play along with the challenge, you can use any Cocoa image or one of his critter "pals" from the SNSS store. When uploading to the galleries, please tag your creation with C4C34 so we can find it!
I'm also entering this card into the SCS WT359 challenge found here.
Thanks for stopping by and have a Cookie & Cocoa kind of day :)

Carol

SC369 I {heart} you

I played along with the SC369 challenge today over on SCS and decided to use some blue color instead of the traditional reds I'd usually use with a heart image. I printed the SNSS Rhubarbs's heart digi image, adding a printed sentiment to the inside of the heart, and colored with Copics. I used 2 different Sizzix embossing folders for this - the curlique & hearts set, along with the Valentine set of 2. I used a scor-pal to score the turquoise panel, and a SU! fancy scallop punch for the horizontal border. The image was cut with a Labels 2 die and edged with a navy marker and 4 white mini brads were added to the corners. Those 3 tiny hearts along the side were punch-outs from the newest SNSS hearts & stars scallop border dies, done in the same cardstock as the diagonal panel. A little piece of SU! turquoise ribbon wrapped up this card for the final touch.
I hope you're having a wonderful day today and thanks so much for stopping by!

Carol

For a Beloved Pet

Friends of mine lost their beloved dog recently, so I made them this card. I used a PTI stamp set for the sentiment and paw prints on the heart. This was done with white and cool caribbean card stock, adding a spellbinders fancy tag die for the sentiment panel, along with 2 small punched hearts. The embossed hearts background was done with a Sizzix ef, and I used the Scor-pal for the lower panel. The dog bone clip is from my stash.
Losing a pet is such a sad time, especially when you've had a companion for many years - which was the case here. I hope this card brought some comfort during such a difficult time.
Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Carol

A Wedding Card for the TLC361

The TLC361 challenge today was to create a Belleek Pottery inspired card. I know I'll be needing a wedding card in a couple weeks, so this technique looked perfect for what I had in mind. I used a CB ef (I think it's called Victorian) and brayered the top with Ranger antique linen ink, then ran it through my machine to get this cool look. I started with PTI vintage cream card stock and left the sentiment panels plain for a little contrast. The sentiment is from SU! Ever After and I embossed it in gold. I edged the labels eighteen dies with a Marvy Deco gold paint pen, and did the outside edges of the card base too. The bow was made with my bow-easy, and the flowers w/pearls came from Walmart. Sorry for the wonky-colored photo, but this looks so much better IRL. It's very dreary today and artificial light just doesn't work very well for me :)
Thanks for stopping by and have a sunny day :)

Carol

Stars & Stamps Sketch Challenge #105

Here's my entry for the OWH Stars and Stamps Sketch challenge #105. I had pieces left over from an old Atlas map page I used to create a card earlier this week, so I used them for this sketch. First I stamped a piece of crumb cake card stock with elements from the SU! Open Sea stamp set in antique linen and faded denim inks, then sponged around the edges. The sentiment is from SU! and I sponged that while it was in the die, and edged it with a black marker. Quick and easy!
Now I need to work on a few more cards so I can get them mailed to OWH soon as there is a real need for them right now!
Have a great Sunday, and if you're a football fan, I hope your team wins!
As for me, I'm patiently waiting for NASCAR to resume next month :)

Carol

Another Birthday Card

Happy Birthday to my friend Heidi! Today is her special day, and she's already received this card, so I'm safe to post it now. This is a 5x7 card, done with a SNSS Rhubarb's balloons digi, and an awesome free digi sentiment from bluebirdflats. I used the labels ten dies from Spellbinders, edging them both with a silver paint pen before cutting. The balloons were embossed first, and then punched with a MS balloon punch which perfectly fits right over the image. I added some PTI enchanted evening card stock and ribbon along with some bashful blue card stock and an unknown piece of striped dsp from my stash. Both the upper and lower panels were embossed with CB embossing folders. The top was done with the birthday ef, but I'm not sure of the name of the one I used for the lower panel, sorry. The image was colored with Copics and sponged around the edges with Ranger tumbled glass ink while it was still in the die.
Happy Birthday Heidi - I hope you're having a fantastic day - even if you're shoveling tons of snow out there in snow country!

Carol

Celebrating 6

I had a friend ask me to make a birthday card for a little girl who's turning 6 today. She gave me a picture of her and asked me to include the photo on her card, so this is what i came up with. I cut the photo and scalloped circle with Spellbinders circle dies, and added some PTI berry sorbet card stock. I embossed the bottom panel with the CB birthday embossing folder, and added some tiny tags that say "you're 6" underneath the bow. I made the "6" and the corner accent with my Quickutz and then embossed it with the square lattice ef. The glittered chipboard is from a stash I bought from QVC years ago and I thought it added a nice festive element for a little girl's birthday card. What little girl doesn't like glitter? The dsp was a scrap from my stash. The birthday girl sure is a cutie isn't she? {for the record, I have permission from her parents to post the card here}
I'm entering this card in the Speedy Fox & Friends challenge #91 to make a birthday card.
We got some snow here in PA overnight and the hubs is outside snow-blowing right now. I guess winter really arrived now :)
Have a great weekend!

Carol

SNSS January Release Blog Hop

Hello and a very happy Friday to everyone. Welcome to the Sweet'n Sassy digi challenge #37 and combination blog hop. This week, we're adding a little more fun to our regular challenge!

The Sweet 'n Sassy digi challenge ladies are bringing you a fun BLOG HOP for our January digi release, and you'll want to hop to each DT's blog and leave them a little love. Why leave a comment? Because there's a great prize hidden on one of these blogs, and your comment just might be the one that makes you the winner of the entire January digi release! How sweet is that!? The winner will be announced here on Friday January 27th.

And now on to the challenge. We're challenging you to make an easel card. If you've never made one, you can find a tutorial here.

For my card I'm using a new SNSS digi image and sentiment from the You and Me digi set, and it's colored with Copics on a Labels 18 die. I matted it with some Peach Parfait card stock and matching dsp. I used a piece of PTI new leaf green and cut it with a SU! top note die, then embossed it with a Sizzix ef then  and lastly added some ribbon and a few black pearls.

And here is the easel card opened. I wove some matching ribbon through the button, and added a fancy tag die cut for the sentiment, also from the You and Me digi set.
So there you have it. Now it's time to hop to each blog listed below and see their wonderful creations. Don't forget to leave a comment on each blog to increase your chances of winning the entire January digi release! Good luck, and have fun!

Carol Longacre {you're here}

Ceal Pritchett

Harriet Skelly
Korin Sutherland

Jerusha Borden

Jessica Stockmeyer

Kim O'Connell

Makiko Jones

Margo Smith

Stephanie Serrano

Stephanie Wright

Carol

MFW Map to your Heart Challenge

I'd been wanting to play along with this challenge ever since I saw it posted over on the Moxie Fab World blog. The challenge is to use road maps in an innovative way. One of the sample cards has a heart on it, and I also used a heart, but mine has a different twist. Mine was inspired by the song "I Left my Heart in San Francisco." I put a heart brad underneath the town's name and added a few tickets to indicate travel. The background is PTI Soft Stone card stock, and I stamped it with an element stamp from the SU! Open Sea set in Pumice Stone ink, masking and turning every which way. {click the picture to enlarge it to see the detail} I added a cool piece of mesh and stamped the sentiment on a piece of Crumb Cake card stock that was torn & sponged with antique linen and vintage photo inks. For the final touch, I added a couple tiny star stickers on the coral ticket. This is going into my next OWH box and I think it's perfect for someone who's far away from home, especially one who might live in San Francisco!
If you have any old road maps you're not using, why not play along with this challenge? If you click here, you'll see some incredibly innovative ways the participants used road maps for their creations!
Enjoy your evening :)

Carol

C4C33 Use those Punches!

Hello and welcome to the Crazy4Cocoa & Friends challenge #33. This week we're challenging you to use a punch on your creations.
I'm using the SNSS Cheerleader Cookie digital stamp for my card and it was colored with Copics. I used 2 SU! punches for the sentiment panel along with a couple of eyelets. I used the word window punch for the sentiment itself, and then the fancy label punch for the 2 mats, splitting the red one into 2 pieces. The background was done with the Sizzix plaid ef and I dabbed gray and red inks on the squares and then ran it through the die cutting machine. I also used a Marvy silver paint pen to color some of the strands of the pom poms.
I'm looking forward to having you play along with us and use those punches! When uploading to the galleries, please tag with C4C33.
Thanks for checking out the challenge and have a fantastic day!

Carol

House Mouse Black & White Challenge #111

I've been trying to use some of the older stamps in my collection that haven't seen any love in quite a while. This stamp was given to me by a friend several years ago, and this is the first time it's seen any ink! It's probably a collector's item by now, but it was time to put it to use and have some fun with it. I decided to play along with the House Mouse Challenge #111, which is to use only the colors of black and white.
I made the herringbone background with strips of dsp  scraps in black & white, and just stamped the image in versafine black ink. I added a sentiment from Melanie Muenchinger's Hoppy Birthday set which seemed to work perfectly with this image since it's called "pogo." I added some Viva white pearl pen accents on the scalloped punched sentiment border, and added a little snippet of knotted ribbon to the corner of the image.
That's my take on the black & white challenge :)
Make it a great day!

Carol

Tuesday Throwdown - Neutral Colors

I'm playing along with the Tuesday Throwdown #81 for the first time, and the challenge is to create a card using neutral colors. This one pretty much meets that challenge. It's done in SU! crumb cake card stock and I used a piece of vellum for the accent. I started with the SU! Fabulous Flowers stamp set and stamped the image on the card stock and again on vellum with Versamark. I embossed the vellum with white ep and hand cut it and placed it over the stamped image on cardstock. I added some ribbon, blush pearls, a sentiment and a bow done with the Bow-easy. The smaller panel is popped up on foam tape.
It's been raining here in PA today, so it was a good day to stay inside and stamp! Thanks for stopping by!

Carol

Stamps R Us Challenge - Just Kidding Around!

Hello! Welcome to Monday and another Stamps R Us challenge. This week our sponsor is Bugaboo stamps and they've given the DT our fun images to work with. I chose this cute little Fireman Sunbonnet Truck image to work with because our challenge this week is to make cards for kids. I paired this image up with some Basic Gray Wander dsp and colored it with Copics. I punched some pieces of the dsp with the word window punch and added brads to make tabs. I used a ticket punch for the sentiment panel, punching 3 of them and adding a Happy Birthday To You sentiment. This card is all about boys and what little boy doesn't like to play with trucks and trains?!
I hope you'll swing over to the Stamps R Us blog to see the fabulous creations my fellow DT members have made to inspire you. If you play along you have the chance to win a very generous prize from Bugaboo, so what are you waiting for? It's time to get kidding around!

Thanks for stopping by and I wish you a great week ahead!

Carol

2 Sketch Challenges

Here is this weeks sketch challenge #104 from the Stars and Stamps blog....

And here is my card. I used the SU! Cute by the Inch stamp set for the images, and added black and red card stock. I embossed the background with a damask ef by Sizzix and added a simple ribbon and bow made with the Bow-easy.

And this is the sketch for this weeks Sweet Stop Challenge #141.

I used some of my very-well-loved-and-hoarded retired SU! Afternoon Tea dsp for this one. I used a SNSS scalloped border die for the Wasabi panel at the bottom and before you say "oh no she didn't,"........ Yes I did! LOL I cut 3 panels from the Wasabi, Soft Sky, and Groovy Guava and swapped all those tiny flowers and dots into the holes for some added interest. I also used 4 of the flowers for the cross-stitch effect on the top panel. Sometimes I find tedious work like that relaxing, and today was one of those days. I used a SU! set called Echoes of Kindness for the image and colored it with Copics. I added some Soft Sky ribbon and a tiny tag with the word "Mother" which was computer generated. The center panel was embossed with a Sizzix diamonds folder, and the image panel was cut with a Spellbinders labels eighteen die. This will be going into my next OWH box for Mother's day, or simply for a card to send home to mother.

I think that's going to do it for me today. I have a friend stopping by in about a half-hour, so it's time to leave the craft room :)

Make it a great day!!

Carol

Pride

Good Morning everyone! I made a card that I'm entering into the Speedy Fox and Friends challenge #90 to use a border punch. I'm in need of some masculine cards, so I used a StampNDoodle digi image called Pride for this card. I used a MS fence border punch, and wove a few strands of hemp through the fence posts just to add a bit more of a masculine touch. I used a SU! slit punch to make the image "holders" on the sides, and added some brass brads. The sentiment panel has a couple matching brads too. The image was colored lightly with Copics, and I used Taken with Teal, Crumb Cake, and Black card stock for this one.
I hope you're all enjoying a pleasant weekend so far. Thanks for stopping by and take good care!

Carol

Cool Tools Week - the Punches Challenge

I have another card today that I'm entering into the Punches Challenge in the Moxie Fab world! The challenge is to use your punches in an innovative way. I embossed a piece of white cardstock with a Cuttlebug star embossing folder and then used a punchAbunch star punch to cut the stars for my card. The punch fit the embossed stars perfectly, and I think the embossing gives these stars a little extra punch! (no pun intended) I've always loved the red, white, and blue color combination, and use it often for my OWH cards, so this will be in my next box for them. The sentiment is from the SNSS Poppies & Greetings clear stamp set, and was done in Memento Danube blue ink. I scored a couple lines for placement for a piece of red gingham ribbon. The blue squares were done with a SU! square lattice embossing folder and a SU! square punch.

It's cool tools week over at the MoxieFab blog and there are several challenges there which encourage us to use the wonderful tools we have on hand. It's all to celebrate the release of the new Cool Tools magazine and you could win a copy by playing along!

Thanks for stopping by for my 2nd post today :) Make it a great Friday!

Carol

SNSDC36 A Monochromatic Challenge

Happy Friday and welcome to the SNSDC36. This week our challenge is to create a monochromatic card. I'm using the SNSS Rhubarb's balloons digi image and he's done in earthy tones of kraft, early espresso and brown. The dsp is from a Basic Grey pack, and I used a punch for the balloons, doing one in matching dsp, and the other one embossed with the swiss dots ef. The sentiment panel is a large circle folded in half and stamped with a birthday sentiment from the Poppies & Greetings clear stamp set, done in Vintage Photo ink. I added 2 mini star brads and a punched border, along with some matching ribbon.
You don't need to use a SNSS digi image to play along with us, but we love seeing them when you do. Grab those digis and come play along with us and you just might be the lucky winner to snag 3 free digis for playing along! You'll get one entry for each card you enter in January, and if you use a SNSS digi, you'll get 2 entries for each card! Good luck and have fun. Remember to tag your entries with SNSDC36 when uploading to the galleries.
Enjoy your Friday and have fun!

Carol

C4C32 So What's New?

So what's new with all of you Crazy4Cocoa fans and friends?

This week as we move forward into a brand new year, the challenge is to use something "new" on your cards or projects. Use a new stamp, digi image, die, designer paper, punch, ribbon.........anything new that you have or may have received for Christmas or bought for yourself this year.

I'm using a brand new clear stamp from a set called Love From Rhubarb - just released this month from SNSS! I colored Rhubarb with Copics and added some BoBunny Crush designer paper. The Spellbinders labels eighteen die was edged with a fine black marker before cutting. I like that I can edge my dies like this, because it eliminates having to make another layer. The sentiment is from the Valentine's Day digi set and I added a tiny heart brad for fun.

I hope this card inspires you to get some Valentines made and play along with us! Please tag your creations with the keyword C4C32 when uploading to the galleries! Have fun and have a great week!

One Card - Two Challenges

Today I have a card that meets two challenges. It follows the SC367 sketch challenge over on SCS and it also meets the Stars and Stripes mid-week Floral Fantasy challenge to use flowers on your card. My flowers were made by using a SU! 3-flower punch, and I added some pink gemstones to the centers. The image is a SNSS digi image called Cocoa's Chocolates and I colored him with Copics and a Spica glitter pen. The embossed panel was done with a Sizzix ef and the sentiment is from a SNSS clear set called Christmas tags.
That will do it for me today, so thanks for stopping by and have yourself a fantastic day!

Carol

Die Cutting Challenge

This is my 2nd post today! I'm on a roll :) I made this card for the Moxie Fab World Cool Tools Week Die cutting challenge found here. It's a fun challenge and all you have to do is use a die cut in an innovative way on your project! I'm using a new Memory Box Serafina Heart die that I bought with some Christmas cash. I cut the heart using a scrap of some heavy shimmer paper that was given to me so I'm not sure who makes it. I made a border using an EK punch, and put a piece of matching card stock behind it. The sentiment was done with a $1 stamp from Michaels and a Close To My Heart marker, and I added a tiny white heart-shaped brad just for fun.
Go here and check out the challenge because you have a chance to win a copy of the new magazine Cool Tools, and that looks like a must-have magazine! You have until February 13th to play along. Have fun!
That will do it for me for today! Thanks for stopping by and make it a great day!

Carol

For my Princess

I found this adorable free digi image here at MilkCoffeeStamps, and she's not only giving away this cute freebie, she's also having another giveaway if you use the digi to make a card and link it up there! Check out her blog for more free digis and also her Etsy shop! Her images are really CUTE!
This image has a caption of "Nice to meet you ladies" but I thought she could be dancing too, so I added some music paper that I made with a $1 stamp I found at Michaels. I colored this image with Copics, and added some tiny Viva pearl pen accents to her shoes, hair, and the computer-generated sentiment panel. The red dp was a scrap from my stash and it's been around a long time, so I'm sorry I don't know who makes it. This card will go into my next OWH box, and I know some little girl will really enjoy getting this from her Mom or Dad!
Thanks for stopping by today and make it a great Tuesday!


Carol

You & Me

 Here is this week's sketch #103 for the Stars and Stamps blog...

And here is my take. I used BoBunny crush dsp along with the SU! bird punch. I added a heart-shaped glittered button that I coated with glossy accents to seal the glitter, and added some baker's twine. The sentiment panel was done with the SU! So Many Sayings set, and I stamped the background first with a G Studio heart stamp in Memento angel pink ink. If you click the picture, you may be able to see that stamping better. Two pink & red heart-shaped brads, a snippet of ribbon, and this was done.
I'm also linking this up to the OWH Stars & Stamps Our Daily Bread Designs challenge to use 3 designer papers. ODBD will be making a shipping donation based on the number of cards linked up, so please consider playing along and linking your card up here for this worthy cause! ODBD is also giving away two $25 gift certificates for prizes, so grab those designer papers and come play along! It's a win/win situation for OWH and our soldiers, and maybe for you too!
Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!

Carol

More Cards

 I recently posted these cards in my gallery over on SCS so I thought I'd share them here too. This card was made for the sketch challenge SC366, and I used this cute SNSS Berry Sweet Cocoa image with Echo Park dp and some bling. The vertical panel was done with an EK punch and some scraps of yellow and green. I tossed it a little bling just for fun. The inside says "you are berry berry special."

 This card was done for the SNSS January Release Party challenge #2. Cathy challenged us to a tic-tac-toe challenge, and I chose red, hearts, and ribbon from the grid. DP is by Recollections, along with SU! crumb cake and black. Sentiment is by SU! and I used a square lattice ef on the squares.

 This card was made for the QFTD94, wendybell. I cased this card from her gallery, changing the colors, ribbon placement and adding a sentiment. I used retired BG two scoops dp for the entire card, adding a punched border done with an EK punch, and embossing with Sizzix Valentine set and SU! square lattice efs. I added a few touches of a Viva Pearl Pen for interest.

This card is for the SNSS January Release Party challenge #3 to do paper piecing. I needed a sympathy card, so I chose some softly colored SU! retired dp, and stamped the flowers from the SNSS "Your Friendship" set with versafine ink, and embossed them with gold ep. I added some gold micro beads to the centers, then embossed the MSE sentiment with gold embossing powder too. I edged the Spellbinders labels eighteen with a Marvy gold paint pen before cutting and added some cream colored satin ribbon.

And last, I made this quick and simple Valentine card by using strips of left-over ribbon. This was for the SNSS January Release Party challenge #1 to make a card with black & white and one other color. Check! All this needed was a little pop of red and it was done.
Thanks for staying with me for this extended post. I hope your Sunday is fabulous!

Carol

House Mouse - Something New

I had some time to finally play along with the House Mouse Challenge #110 to create a card with something "new." Well this little mouse clearly has a new hat and slippers, and it looks like Momma mouse is knitting a new sweater to match! I added a felt & card stock snowflake with a mini star brad and a sentiment that describes a chilly day. I sponged the sky with Ranger broken china ink and colored the image with Copics. It's just a C&S card, and these cute House Mouse images really need no sentiments, but I added one just for fun!
Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you all have something "new" to enjoy in new year!!

Carol

A Calendar Gift from Heidi

I had to share this amazing calendar page I received as a gift from my friend Heidi. Some of you might remember, we started this blog together, and then she decided to give up stamping and moved on in a different direction. Well she clearly hasn't skipped a beat in all this time, because this calendar is so amazingly detailed that I can't stop staring at this page every day! She made pages for each month which I'll share with you as this year unfolds, but this is the first and I think it's adorable! Don't you just love that awning with snow on it? Thanks Heidi, and I'll treasure this forever.......long after the year is history! Maybe we'll be seeing more creations from you again soon?!! (fingers crossed)
I'll have more later...........

Carol

SNSDC35 - A Recipe Challenge

Hello and welcome to the SNSDC35. This week our challenge is a 1,2,3 recipe. Use 1 number, 2 embossings, and 3 colors. I decided to make a birthday card for my DGD who turns 2 in a couple months, so I used Party Hat Cocoa and colored him with aqua and purple Copics to match the Echo Park dsp. I added a 3rd color of Melon Mambo just for some eye-catching fun. I used the birthday ef on the bottom panel, and a circle ef for the top. The chipboard number is one I got from QVC several years ago in a glittered chipboard package. I used an EK ticket punch for the sentiment and square Nestabilities for the scalloped mat.
You don't have to use SNSS digital stamps to play along with our challenge, but we sure love to see them when you do! Check here for details on the prize package you can win just for playing along and to see all of the other fabulous DT creations that were made for your inspiration. If you upload your creation to the SNSS connection, please use keyword SNSDC35.
Have fun and have a fantastic Friday!

Carol

C4C31 A Color Challenge

Welcome to the first Crazy4Cocoa challenge of 2012! This week the challenge is to use the colors of red, pink, and brown. I'm using some BoBunny dp which has all 3 of these colors, but I also used some red card stock for the sentiment panel. The image is Cocoa's Heart digital stamp, and I hand cut Cocoa and placed him on another piece of DP that was paper-pieced to fit the heart. That was a lot of work but I love the way it turned out.  The border was done with an EK punch and I added 2 tiny heart brads to the sentiment panel. The sentiment is from the SNSS Valentine's Day Greetings  set, and I added a snippet of ribbon from my stash.
So how about playing along with us this week? We'd love to see your creations and all you have to do is use the keyword C4C31 when uploading to the galleries.
Thanks so much for stopping by today and have a fun Thursday!

Carol

Stars & Stamps MWT - Anything Goes

The mid-week challenge over at the Stars and Stamps blog this week is to use something crafty that you got for Christmas and/or make an any occasion card. I won a Pink Paislee Vintage Vogue paper & embellishment pack that arrived a week before Christmas, so I'm using all my new goodies from that package for this card. The figure of the woman is a chipboard piece that was included among the embellishments. I made the chevron strip by following Jennifer McGuire's tutorial. I thought the chevron would be too tedious to create, but I found it very relaxing and a lot of fun to see the final result. I'll be doing this more often I'm sure! The card stock base is SU! Pale Plum (retired) and the sentiment is from SU! Upsy Daisy stamp set.
That will do it for me today, so thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Wednesday!

Carol

More Thank-you Cards

 I have a couple more thank-you cards to share with you today. First up is one that uses some dsp from the Bella Blvd Christmas Wishes pack. I paired it with some black and white card stock, and wove some dark gold ribbon through the Sweet 'n Sassy lacy border die cut. I added a few tiny gemstones to the sides, and some Marvy gold paint pen edging around the Spellbinders labels eighteen dies. The sentiment is from Verve and was done with Versafine Onyx Black ink.

 

This card was made with papers from the Red/Black Line Extension II from Jenni Bowlin. I paired it with some real red card stock, and Spellbinders labels eighteen, and labels four dies. I edged both dies with black and red markers before cutting, and added a SU! sentiment along with some tiny black Kaiser pearls. The scalloped borders were done with a SU! punch.
The designer papers used on both of these cards were from a prize package I was very fortunate to win by leaving a comment on the Moxie Fab blog back on World Card Making Day!
Winter is here in PA today and it's a balmy 25 degrees at the moment! Brrrr!! Wishing you warm sunshine and a great day! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Carol

Stars & Stamps Sketch Challenge #102

 This is my 2nd post today, wow! I'm on a roll :) Here is the sketch for the Stars and Stamps challenge #102 and here is my card........

I dug into my stash of unloved dp and used some coordinating papers from PTI. The stamp sentiment and circle design are stamps from JustRite that have been hiding in a drawer and not finding much love either. I have been making a real effort to use the supplies I have first before buying so many new items. I know I will still buy that embossing folder I just have to have, or one of those new release dies that look so fabulous, but I was proud of myself, because I didn't even walk down the paper aisle at the craft store today - I completely skipped it! That was a biggie for me :)
Anyway, back to the card. I used PTI vintage cream and SU! chocolate chip, adding a few tiny hearts made with the SU! owl punch. It just needed something extra and I like the way they look. The sentiment was stamped with chocolate chip ink and I used 2 circle punches along with a Spellbinders die for the largest circle. I like this easy sketch so much that I might make a few more in different colors!
Thanks for hanging out with me for a little while, and I wish you all a great week ahead!

Carol

Anything Goes for Stamps R Us

Welcome to 2012 and a new Stamps R Us challenge! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and you're ready for some stamping fun. The Stamps R Us challenge is being sponsored by the Stamping Boutique this week and the theme is to show us what you got for Christmas, and if you didn't get any stamping goodies, then anything goes! I'm using the picnic basket image which just puts me in the mood for warm weather. Winter just began here a week or so ago, but I can dream can't I? LOL I colored the image with Copics, and used Blossom dies for the image and mat. I used a lacy eyelet border die from SNSS and wove some PTI berry sorbet ribbon through it for interest, adding a separate bow to the bottom of the image panel. The dp is from the wild asparagus pad and I added some spica glitter pen accents to the flowers and heart on the tag, along with some white gel pen accents on the apple and grapes.
So now that the holidays are behind us, grab those new goodies and show us what you got with this challenge! As always, you'll have two weeks to upload your creation and there's always a generous prize from our sponsor. Be sure to check out the fabulous cards my fellow DT members have made by clicking right here.
Thanks for dropping by and have yourself a wonderful kick-off week to the new year!

Carol