GRUFFIES!!!!!!!!!

BLOG CANDY GIVE-AWAY...............SCROLL DOWN TO ENTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(You all are blowing me away with the response to this blog candy!! Thanks so much to all who've linked me!!)







So you all know how I just adore my House Mousies.............well, the same company now makes these adorable little bears called Gruffies!!!!! They're so darn precious!!! So these are two different cards I made for a recent swap! I'm getting burned out on all the swaps I signed up for and will be taking a break from them so I can just STAMP TO ENJOY!!!! LOL I have to go a littler simpler than I really want to as I had to make 12 cards!! So I do think they're cute........but just not completely as blinged up as I'd like!! LOL


DH and I are headed into town........it's 40 minutes one-way now for the big grocery and wally and hobby lobby trips!! But we got a second fridge and it's up and running, so we'll be able to realllllllllllly stock up and make our trips to town count!!! And..................SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH............I think we're gonna look for an ATV.........we've promised DS one for a while now that when we moved we'd get him one. But DH is very, very thorough and looks at consumer reports, etc and so takes a bit of time!! LOL But he's a smart man..........so I have to keep learning patience!! Actually, an ATV is a necessity up here with all the wood chopping and hauling we need to do before winter. And DH is getting a small blade to put on it so it can double as a mini snow plow!! I think our 15 y.o. son will be THRILLED to do snow removal this winter!!!! LOL

Anyway.............I'll be back by tonite to play in the first VSN Mini challenge on SCS!!

~ Have A Creative Day! ~

My Very First Altered Paint Can........and......The Blog CANDY!!!

Ohhh.........my new Gina K. stuff came, my new Gina K. stuff came!!!! And it included the new Melanie set, Jumping For Joy!!!!! So I just ***had*** to get started on a project!! I wanted to attempt the Carousel theme that Melanie and Linsey both used on their AMAZING Release Party cards!!! So I thought I'd try to alter a Paint Can as it would be the easiest thing that already kinda looks like a carousel!! Well...........I obviously have a loooooooooooooooooong way to go!!! But it's a start! I tried to wrap some pretty dsp around the paint can, but the strips weren't long enough..........then I saw a new project Carolina posted and she used Watercolor Paper.............DUH!!!!!!! I even have some and didn't think of that!!! BTW.......her Altered Paint Can is soooooooo adorable!!! Mel...........I promise I have lots more ideas that will be much cuter!!!!!

Okay.............NOW............here's the waaaaaaaay cooooooooool Blog Candy Give-Away I've been teasing you all with!!!!!!!!! LOL The photo isn't the best.....if I get a chance, I'll try to update it! This give-away features Melanie's Jumping For Joy stamp set!!!! Also added in is some velvet ribbon, gun metal stickles, zoo brads, screw brads, half-back pearls, Petaloo flowers, and a hinged tin!!!

Here's all you have to do...........tell me what animal you'd LOVE to see in a stamp!! I know there are a zillion animal stamps out there!! But there still are some animals that just aren't on a stamp yet!! What would you like to see?? Then we'll all group e-mail Melanie and beg her for more Animal Sets!!!! LOL You didn't think *****I***** was gonna draw something did you???? Oh THAT would be truly hideously hysterical!!!!! LOL Oh.........send anyone you know over to play......the more the merrier!!! I love meeting new "blogging buddies"!!!! I will choose a winner this Sunday.......I'm using Cody.org..........my 15 year old son!! I'll put all the names into a hat and have him choose!! Of course I'll have to stand on a ladder to hold the hat over his head as he's quite a bit taller than me now!!!! LOL

Thanks so much to all of you who stop in here and to all of you whom I enjoy visiting!! What a fun and caring and creative community this stamping/scrapping/crafting world is!!!

~ Have A Creative Day! ~

Challenge Cards and An Award!

Short post as I have sooooooooooooo much unpacking, cleaning AND stamping I've got to do!! OH YEAH!!!!!!!! And I need to run into town and get my new Gina K. and Melanie M. stuff that BETTER be in my PO Box!!!!! LOL I'll brave the foggy, drizzly, snowy rain!!! Yes, that's what you get at my altitude in CO at the end of May!!!!!

Here are some of the cards I made for various Challenges on the WishRAK forum at SCS. Seriously, not much time to post recipes, but then, I guess I don't post much of a recipe ever, do I???!!!! LOL They were lots of fun to make, but definitely not exactly how I'd like as working with that 1 hour time frame can be very limiting to me!!!!



Now.......this award has come around to me from my AWESOMELY Talented Friend Jessie!!! If you haven't checked out her amazing layered creations, you are missing something!!! She's also a DESIGNER!!!!! I'm so thrilled for her and so want to follow in her steps!!! Thanks for this award Jessie..........and this time I'll pick some fellow blogging stampers to pass it along to..........not that it's easy as I've already said just HOW MANY blogs I follow and love!!!!!

Jessie..........you show me how to fabulously bling up and detail my cards!! I LOVE your layers!
Carolina.......you SHARE the most beautiful projects and detailed tutorials!!
Donna..........you inspire me, not only with your talent and creativity, but your GIVING nature!
Linsey.........you ROCK with your "out of the box" thinking and spectacular creations!!
Laura.........you spotlight wonderful SU products and gorgeous cards!
Beth..........you're so talented and balance that so wonderfully with being a mama!!
Kerianne........you are my BUD!! When you do stamp and share........I love it!!!
Suzanne.......you're quilting and quilting design cards amaze me!!
Christi........you're a go-getter! You're creativity and beautiful cards are a treat!
Melanie.......HELLO?? Have you seen her blog?? A true Artiste!
Diane.........you're creativity and softer side to stamping, a spiritual gift to so many!!
Deb..........your creativity and kindness shines through your creations!
Susan.......you're sharing of creations, both yours and God's.......is amazing!!
Joan.........you're a new blogger, but amazing with your cards and sharing!!

Now..............I simply can't thank ALL of you enough for inspiring me!! And honestly..........every blog I visit deserves this award!!

Visit Diane's Blog for sure as she has a VERY fun and generous Blog Candy give-away right now!!!!

AND...............stay tuned, because as soon as I get back from the Post Office *****I***** am going to post my BLOG CANDY GIVE-AWAY!!!!!!!! You don't wanna miss this!!!!!!!!! :)

~ Have A Creative Day! ~

Some Cards and a Cute Award!!

Howdy, Howdy all my Blogging and Stampin' Friends!!!! Sheeeeeeeeesh!!!! This move has taken a bit more out of me than I thought it would!! HA HA!!! I live in an alternate reality at times!!!! Well, the house IS bigger and gorgeous and it's so quiet here at the end of the world!!! But still lots to do!!! So.........I'm back to just trying to take baby steps with the unpacking and getting back to some stamping in my own little craft room for my sanity!!! I'll share photos soon, but I'm still working on organizing it!!





So...........here are 2 cards I made.........I was so happy to be chosen as one of the WishRAK Hostesses for a challenge day this Sunday-Monday!!! If you are a member of WishRAK on Splitcoast......come and play!!! It's a fun group that's basically members swapping images and/or stamping related items! Here is the card I made for my challenge............which should sooooooo NOT come as any surprise to you who know me well!!!! ;) My challenge title is BLING IT ON!!!! LOL I used some of my famously favorite Basic Grey dp!!! And stickles, pearls, ribbon, primas, spica glitter pen...............you name it........had to Blingy, Blingy it up!!!!





This is the card I made for one of the Gina K. release party challenges.....it was a sketch challenge. I only had time to do one of the 3 challenges.....and this was a cute sketch. I wanted to layer several flowers, but my container with ALL my primas and various flowers is missing!!!!!!! It's the **ONLY** craft box that I haven't found yet.............so I'll have to go brave the garage and the downstairs and see if I can find it!! So I had to use just these 2 flowers!!



Now GUESS WHAT?????? I WON a contest question at the release party and got to pick out any stamp set from Gina K. up to $18.95 value!!!! WooooooooooooooHoooooooooooo!!!! That was just soooooooooooo coool!!!!!





And then I got this AWESOME award from Deb.......at Sharing My Obsession!!! She is just soooo sweet!!! And she has such beautiful creations and an adorable son and is such a loving and giving stamper!!! Go check out her blog!!! Deb.......I'm truly thrilled you shared this award with me and I'm only so late in acknowledging it from this crazy move!!! You also ROCK Deb!!!!



Now............I just have to share this award with all of my blogging friends..........do you know how hard it is to pick certain of my friends when I now attempt to keep up with over 80 blogs???!!!! LOL I truly am inspired by you all and so happy to have friends......old and new......in this venture of stamping and creating!!! You ALL ROCK!!!!



P.S.......................stay tuned for a VERY SPECIAL BLOG CANDY GIVE-AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~ Have A Creative Day! ~

Which Scrapbooking Paper Collection Are You?

I took this QUIZ.............I saw this on Susan's and Suzanne's blog..........just a fun little diversion! I'm exhausted but a bit too wired about the big move tomorrow morning!!! LOL

And lookie lookie!! I ended up being my very, very FAVORITEST Designer Paper!!!!! Isn't that cool!!!??!!

This is what my result said: You are BASIC GREY paper!You enjoy the newest and latest cutting edge products. Your work most likely work reflects a raw and progressive design style that stimulates and inspires.YOU SEE THINGS; AND YOU DON'T SAY "WHY?"YOU DREAM THINGS THAT NEVER WERE; AND SAY "WHY NOT?"

Well my friends............the next post will be from my new house!!!! Thanks for all the support and well-wishes!! And have a wonderful weekend!!!

~ Have A Creative Day! ~

It's Almost Moving Day.............But I Got More Stampin' In!!!

Howdy my friends!!! Can you believe it?? Saturday is almost here!!!!!!!! But I had to sneak in a little time for some stamping before I actually did pack up my shhhhtufff!!! LOL





I made a card for our first Hostess Challenge for the upcoming Book Club VSN on Splitcoast!! I am soooooooooo super excited to have been chosen to be one of the Hostesses!!!! The first challenge that the hostesses were given was to make a card that was inspired by a book cover. Well, I HAD to choose my very, very FAVORITEST book in the whole world.........To Kill A Mockingbird!!!! I first read this book in 6th grade. It was my instant favorite. As I've mentioned briefly before, I had an abusive and miserable childhood.............but reading...........AHHHHHHH..........now THAT was truly my heaven and my escape!!!! I actually was allowed to read, so I took every opportunity to become any character and have any amount of wonderful adventures!!! My card is a very loose interpretation.........there are many different book jacket designs that this book has had........this one is the most recent I think. I basically pulled the plum color and the swirl designs as my inspiration!






Now this second card I made tonite was just for Melanie.............I usually "hop" right in and make lots of fun creations with one of Mel's new sets as soon as I get it!! But moving and packing and being sick just have seemed to get in my way!!! LOL But I wanted to get at least one more in to Melanie for her fun and generous contest!! So as I'm still totally addicted to BLING and to this wonderful Nursery Baby Girl DCWV stack...............here's my card!! Let me tell ya..........cutting out all those little pieces is work! But I have a bit of a tip.........just go over any white spots with Basic Black Marker that might show if you don't trim close enough.................and VOILA!!!






Now............here's a fun and sweet award that was given to me by THREE of my wonderful stamping and blogging friends!!! Suzanne, Jennie and Christi all awarded this to me!! Talk about making my day!!! Now how can I possibly choose??? I have so many wonderful and encouraging and talented friends that I'm truly amazed and blessed!!! So..........besides bouncing back to the 3 wonderful ladies who nominated me..........I really and truly do dedicate this to all of the amazing and wonderful stampers who visit my blog!!! My lil ole blog.............and I soooo don't pay attention and was stunned to see that I'm over 6,000 hits!!!! Like..................WOWZERS!!!!!!!! So some blog candy will be comin' sooooooon!!!!! Just let me unpack first!!!! LOL



One last thing............my DD got her Senior Pictures done.............OH MY GOSH!!!!!!! They're phenomenal!!!! She's like me and, being a big girl does NOT like pictures of herself............but they turned out so beautifully that I think even ***SHE*** could see the beauty!! My daughter is so lovely and pretty and sweet.............and she's the kindest and most loving teenage girl I've ever, ever met!!! I also got permission (well, more like acceptance!! LOL) to post some here. I'm waiting for the photographer to send me the j-pegs I pick out and he is so amazing that he's letting us post some!! I'll also be getting his logo to post.............wait until you see............he is THE most amazingly talented photographer I've ever seen! He's got tons of awards and I just could sit and stare at all his photos all day long!!! But......................while I'm waiting for a few days for those............if you'd like to see our ABSOLUTE MOST FAVORITE PHOTO of DD (it was so hard to choose!!).........she got her own photo he already e-mailed to her posted on her blog!!! Check it out HERE!!!! This is my 17 year old..............I canNOT believe she's already so grown up!!!! By the way Erynn is her pen name..........she's sneaky that way!!! LOL



Well............good night (errr.........morning! LOL) my friends!!! I should have a lot to post after this busy but very exciting weekend!!!



~ Have A Creative Day! ~

Mousies and Gruffies!!

This is just a quick post so y'all don't think I've fallen off the face of the earth yet!!!! LOL Seriously, packing and moving is such a huge job!!! We've actually been in this house for 6 years (the longest ever at one place since we got married!!)........and I'm totally burned out from packing and cleaning and injured my wrist and re-injured my knee. Oh well.........the new house is sooooo totally worth it!!!! Hubby and DD are up there working on some projects that needed to be done before we move in. My in-laws are there too to help...........my AWESOME FIL who is 71 and still active, active, active and is the supervisor for the local Habitat for Humanity!!!! And my wonderful MIL who I know will also help more than she should with her still recovering from her knee replacement. I'm hoping mostly she'll stay on my DD to finish up some final schooling assignments!!!! I'll be sure to post pictures soon of the house and property!!!





Soooooooooo.........besides cleaning and packing and errands....OH MY!! I've finally, finally got some swaps finished!!! I seriously have to start saying no to some of these!!! LOL The House Mouse Stamp of the Month swap is so fun (as I am waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay addicted to the little mousies!!) and we only have to make 6 of each with that month's image. So this little Party Hat Mousie stamp was just so festive that I had to use bright colors and lots of stickles!!!





Now, of course, the makers of House Mouse just ***HAD*** to create something new...........I LOVE these little Gruffie Bears!!! My friend Christi/RazorbackFan........sent me some wonderful and perfect color cardstock all cuttlebugged with the music folder! That's one of a very few that I actually don't have yet!!! So it was just perfect for this little guy!!! I kept it black, white, gray with some pops of red!!! Now I had to make 11 of these!!! And I still have lots of Gruffie images to stamp and cards to make for yet another swap!!!!

Okeedokee............I really, really hope to get back to the SCS challenges as I sure LOVE and MISS them!!!! But soon..................soon..................soon I will be in my new house and in my very own craft room!!! 5 more days!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so sorry I haven't been able to keep up with the blog-hopping as usual.........I now have almost 80 in my Google Reader!!! But I try to make some rounds and post a bit a couple times a day!!! Be patient with me and I'll be back to "normal" soon..........yeah, I know...........*****MY***** version of normal anyway!!!! LOL


~ Have A Creative Day! ~

National Scrapbook Day Creations!

Just thought I'd post the cards I made on Saturday when we had some NSD Challenges to celebrate the fun National Scrapbook Day!!! I haven't completed all of them yet...........but I did 4 of the 6!! The challenges were on the SCS Flybaby forum. The challenges accomodated both scrappers and stampers!! This will be just a quick post as I reallllllllllly have so much to do......10 days until MOVING DAY!!!!! YIKES!!!!!!!!!

Challenge #1: Pick out 3 sheets of patterned paper, 5 sheets of solid cardstock, any brads, and 3 spools of ribbon. We are free to use any adhesives, tools and a few other embellies as long as they are minimal.

Challenge #2: Create a page or a card that highlights your mom, is for your mom, or someone who is special like a mom to you. Obviously the first two aren't for me........so I made a card for someone who truly has loved me as a daughter.....and has told me she wished I was!!!!

Challenge #3: Pick a page or card that you created in the past, but you feel needs a "makeover"! Oh I knew which one to pick!! LOL

Challenge #4: This was a sketch we were to follow.

Okeedokee............got tons and tons to do!!! On top of all of that...........I've got to take my DD to get her hair cut and colored this afternoon and finish getting her new clothes/shoes/manicure, etc. for her Senior Pictures on Thursday!! Admittedly I am WAAAAAAAAAAAY more excited than she is!! If I get her "permission" I'll post a picture here!! ;) I'll keep you all posted about the move!!!

~ Have A Creative Day! ~

Featured Stamper Challenge

I really do LOVE this SCS challenge............every Sunday an SCS stamper gets chosen and we get to browse a fabulous gallery in search of a card we'd like to CASE. We need to make at least 2 changes to the card. It is so fun to "meet" lots of new stampers this way.........and also to see some new galleries and creativity as it is completely impossible to see everything in a gigantic website like SCS!!



For The Featured Stamper challenge, I chose to CASE the card here: Grungy Guava Daisy. The changes I made were the colors and the stamp set. A few tiny other changes, but mostly kept to the same layout. I've got a blogging buddy who found out she's expecting her first baby.....and I have been thinking about her and meaning to make and send a card out for a while now....I truly feel terrible to have taken so long! I'll bet she guesses who she is!!! LOL But that's okay, 'cuz then she'll know I really, really, really have been thinking about them and sooooo excited for them!!!!



I've got some more cards to post tomorrow, AND finally to catch up on posting my FABULOUS Birthday RAKs from my most awesome and special friends...........but I've got to get a LITTLE sleep!! It's 3 a.m. and we head up to the new house at 8 or so to clean carpets and take a load of boxes! YIKES!!! I'll "see" you all later!!!



~ Have A Creative Day! ~

The Good........and The Bad & Ugly!

Allrighty my blogging friends...........this first challenge card I really like!! It was for the SCS Color Challenge and for the Sketch Challenge. I was a bit intimidated at first by this long and lean card........I mean that's a lot of space!! But I got brave and did a little scoring design with my Scor Pal to help break up all the empty whiteness! I think it turned out pretty good..........my dd even likes it!! She does NOT like my pinky, glittery stuff!! LOL






Now........this card is the bad and ugly...........I must apologize to Melanie..........I'M SORRY!!!! This card is just not nearly as cute as her froggies really are!! This is for the Limited Supplies challenge, which I often don't do as I don't like to be limited!! LOL I was trying some masculine colors and a color combo that is soooooooooo completely out of my comfort zone! Obviously! I used my Sakura Glaze pen to make the froggies shiny.......but also to try to hide the coloring lines. I love my Prismas.........but although I'm sooooo happy to have ALL the SU inkpads and markers.........coloring with the markers leaves lines!! Any suggestions???? Well, I just plain don't like this card.........but I have vowed to always post every card I make............not just the ones I like!! LOL I never, ever have to worry about getting a stamping ego..............I've raised my children to be honest!! I showed my dd the card and she said, "Well, not every card you make can be spectacular." And there ya have it!! Honesty.................now ***why*** didn't I teach them to lie???!! ROFL I promise I'll make a cute, girlie, glittery, princessy froggy card soon!!



But we'll be up early to go to closing for the new house and to do some cleaning before starting the hauling work!!! I'll keep you all posted!!!



~ Have A Creative Day! ~