Bog Candy Alert!!

Just wanted to post a link to Katie, my SBS9 sistah's blog candy....click here to enter...its open to all!! Good luck! It's open until February 9th!!

Judy's Birthday gift

This is the gift I gave to Judy for her end of the year birthday. I LOVE the Bella Rose paper and so knew it would be perfect to create a folder and note cards for my girlfriend. She is always sending out little notes and so I thought this would be perfect for her...and she loved them!

OK, I'm back!!!

Sorry about the unexpected Hiatus! Life was just a little too hectic for me prior to and following the holidays, and I am just now getting "ma groove" back. Still working on my doctorate, but in addition, after catching Oprah yesterday, I have some personal research to do for myself as well...hmmm....more to follow later on in the "About Us" page when I get my findings...

One bright spot during this time was Stephanie's Pinning Ceremony. Yes, she successfully finished her AAS in Nursing!! Woo hoo!!! I have added some pictures of the ceremony and family here.

Anyway - thanks for sticking with me here...I have some great things coming up to share with y'all...tonight's GNO has 3 great cards I will have displayed...Good to be back! I missed you all!!

Check out this ADORABLE Santa!!!

I am going to have to research the lovely woman who posted this on Beate's list serve...but I CASE-d this....because it is SO STINKIN" CUTE!! It uses the Big Shot (available from Stampin' Up!) and the Top Note die ... It consists of 3 die cuts in Whisper White, Real Red, and Blush Blossom. I used the small 1/2" round punch for the holly berries, used the small oval punch on Handsome Hunter paper and then trimmed them up to look like holly leaves, the 1" round punch for his nose and the 3/4 punch for his mouth, and 1/4" round punch for his hat pom pom...I sponged pink cheeks and edged his nose with Pretty In Pink ink...and lastly, used some googlie eyes from the craft store...I kept the Santa on the candy cane stick but cutting a strip of whisper white 1 3/4 X 5 1/5, scored the piece at approximately 1 1/2 inches from both ends and then used the 1" round punch on both ends, and attached the middle portion of the white strip to the back of Santa. Then I was able to slip the candy cane stick through the two circles to hold it in place. The candy cane stick was one of those fabulous finds at the Dollar Tree, where they are 2 for $1....Put the whole thing in a clear gift bag and tied it off with Real Red grosgrain ribbon... DONE!!!! I am making them for my students and for my grand kids....they are so very quick and easy!!!! Try 'em, you'll like 'em!!! LOL

Shannon's 2nd birthday card...a lil bit of a mix...

So Shannon, the youngest grandchild, turns 2 this month and we celebrated her birthday this past weekend. She, as many children do, loves Dora...so I tried my best to give her a Dora card...so I used my Sock Monkey set from Stampin' Up! and a few odds and ends stamps I have collected over the years....Unfortunately, I did not pay enough attention to the BOOTS on the monkey in the invitation - whose name is BOOTS - duh! - I should have free handed a set of boots and put them on my purple monkey! Oh well...tomorrow's another day!! I used SU paper (of course - its the best!!!), Yoyo Yellow, Pink Passion, Confetti White and Whisper White. The hat, the monkey and the cupcake are all cut out after I stamped them in black Stazon ink and colored them with markers and watercolor crayons in the following colors: yoyo yellow, pink passion, creamy caramel, barely banana, real red, pumpkin pie, lovely lilac, pale plum, certainly celery, bravo burgundy, and real rust. Then I threw in a set of booglie eyes for good measure. Not 100% pleased with the results but Shannon liked it -that's all that matters!

I'm back...

I cannot believe how sick I have been...I had to leave school early on Wednesday, the 26th (and we had a 1/2 day to boot, dang it!)...and I was sick all through Thanksgiving, and the subsequent shopping days...and I had to take off sick days from school through Wednesday December 3rd...and I was STILL sick when I went back Thursday...ey yi yi!!! So then you have to fight back that lethargy that comes from being wiped out with illness...I would get home and go right back to bed...and I slept a lot this past weekend...and I have SO many things to do...I really didn't need to be sick right now...not that any time is good, but this was really really bad timing...AND I totally missed Thanksgiving dinner with my family (and by the time I could eat - I missed ALL the dinner - really bites, 'scuse my french)....not something to make me feel any better about the holidays, I must say.....so, anyway - I am finally back....and trying to get a bazillion things done all at once...but believe me....I am so GLAD to be back!

Guess what my Christmas card is going to consist of this year!!!???!!!

Check out this former Christmas card I sent - way back like '97 to '99 ... At that time I didn't have Scruffy's ears cut close, so all the hair was too heavy for his delicate ears to have them pop up like a normal Yorkie....and look at him...he is always saying, "Mom - get this crazy stuff off me!!" Why? Cuz he has coats, boots, costumes, shirts, sweaters....I think you get a little MORE nutty when you go from BIG dogs to SMALL dogs....Anyway....NEXT check out the stamp I just found in Michael's.....How PERFECT is THAT??!?!?!?!?!?!?

WAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY too cute!! ROFLMAO

Now - this is all you get until those Christmas cards are done....but how stinkin' cute, eh? I mean, now, really!!!!???

The October Stamp-a-Stack at Girl's Night Out!

Thankfully - our Stampin' Up! family shares their ideas and creations with us....and as I always say...I can recognize beauty when I see it!! So - with the dissertation process in FULL SWING...my brain is only focused on that and I have a hard time just keeping my brain from leaking out my ears, let alone come up with my own card ideas these days....So I CASE'd away again for the Novemeber Stamp-a-Stack...So check out what y'all missed!!!

This card was CASEd from a talented male demo, Kevin Theesen.

Recipe:

Stamps: Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Season of Friendship

Paper: Tangerine Tango, More Mustard, Whisper White, DSP (either Haiku or Hawaii Papaya), Chocolate Chip

Ink: Versa Mark, Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango, More Mustard, Red Riding Hood Red

Access: Chocolate taffetta ribbon, glue dot

This card was CASEd from XXXX

Recipe:

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, French Script BG
Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Kraft
Ink: Brown Stazon, Old Olive, Cameo Coral, Really Rust, Sahara Sand, Close to Cocoa (pad and marker)
Access: distressing tool, Spritzer tool, Tombo multi glue, dazzling diamonds, wide olive ribbon

And as always...a CASE from THE Patty Bennett!! She is "da bomb" - I tell ya'!! I love purses (who doesn't?!?!?!) so how stinkin' cute is this?!?!?!?!

Recipe:

Stamps: On Your Birthday, Priceless
Paper: Pink Pirouette, Basic Black, So Saffron, Brocade Blue
Ink: Basic Black, Blue Brocade, Pink Pirouette
Access: Many Punches: small and large oval, 3/4 cirlce, 3/4 square, word window, round tab, 1/16 hand held, matching color, gold or silver brad

Soooooo - since you don't want to miss any more fabulous creations, make sure you come to my next Girls' Night Out!!!! Black Friday!!!!

Alright, I know this isn't a card, but how cute, eh?

Since Stephanie was born on October 25th - she was always lookin' good on Halloween...and this year at age 2 (just) - she took the cake!! She was Lil' Red....and big ol' shepherd Spike (shepherd and lab mix - a FABULOUS loving and protective dog- just hairy, hairy, hairy...) was of course The Big Bad Wolf dressed as Grandma...Everyone loved it!!! Stephanie also went as this at age one - but I can't put my hands on those pictures yet...and if you can believe it - are even cuter than these!!! So - since I just found these and have been posting personal and past pics on my "About you" page...I thought I HAVE to put this front and center!! LOL I hope you enjoy it too!! I love looking at 'em!!!

Spike was so good to keep that get--up on until I took it off him...

Two cards not used in September SAS

The following two cards were originally planned for the October Stamp-a-stack...however, I always show my DH my cards, and he always gives me the "great!" comment...and then I go on my merry way, since I LOVE positive feedback (who doesn't?)....and he saw these two and said, "....Oh...." "whaddya mean, '...oh'?" "...well - they're not like what you usually do..." "Like how?" "I don't know...not as fancy or something...." "GREAT!!! SAS is tomorrow night!!!!!! And you don't think these are good!!??! whaaa!!!" "No, no they're good, but...." "Don't but me mister!!! Harrumph.....Thanks a lot!!!" (yes I am often sarcastic!!) So - I was freaked out and self-doubting - and so Friday I came home from work and made two more cards and THEN cut all the paper for the event....Thankfully - I got it all done by 6:30 - but holy smokes, man! But - now that I look at the cards (and after the girls yelled at me because they liked them!!) - I realized the cards just aren't my normal STYLE...not that they were BAD....kwim? And unfortunately, my DH the silent one (for good reason!!! LOL), couldn't express quite what he meant...at least, I guess, I should be happy he could tell that I HAVE a certain style....

So this first card was CASEd from two cards I saw and mixed together...one was from Michelle Zindorf and one from Lee Conrey....

This next cutey, patootie was cased from Jen Peel, but I changed up the colors...

So enjoy the cards....and yes - NOW I know they were fine!! OH MY GOODNESS!!! (yessss...a Shirley Temple quote!)

WOW!

After visiting my SBS9 Sistah Sue's blog - I see she has linked an unbelievable blog candy from a fantastic crafter/stamper....so here is the link and good luck to you..and to me....I think I really want copics, darn it!!!!

Debbie's blog candy

Remember I told you I would share the individual cards from the September SAS? Here they are!! Finally!

Well - I blew it! I was supposed to save that Bob posting for tomorrow but hit post too soon!! Anyway...here are the three cards with recipes that I used for the September Stamp-a-Stack...This first one was CASE'd from Sally, a member of my sister SU group...

This next card is my version of the famous Patty Bennett (of Advisory Board fame!!)

This card was CASE'd from my dear friend and sideline Rhonda Morgan from AZ, who I desparately want to go visit!! LOL Still working on DH to let me vacation without him again!!

Anyway - the girls loved the cards and we all (as always) had a great time!!!

Two little shares...

Here is my version of what everyone was doing...Frankie!!! Too fun!! And how can you not LOVE the Big Shot!

This is the card that my "lil monkey" gave me for my birthday. She did this all on her own...AND she got me a wee little sock monkey...too cute...now where on earth did I put it? hmmmm

Our birthday cards to Bob...

These are the two cards that Stephanie and I gave to my DH Bob for his birthday - which was the 28th...In the pictures it is hard to see that I used Crystal Effects on the balloon - which is cut out and popped up with dimensionals- I also put CE on the cupcake sprinkles to make them stand out all shiny...the cupcake is cut out too - although NOT popped up...I used piecing for the cupcake holder thing...you people who cook out there- what do you call those things anyway? LOL

This is Stef's card for Bob...and the weird thing is that the DSP paper is the same DSP paper I used - the picture just came out strange...anyway...she embossed the "b" - this is plain but looks really nice IRL...she did this one all by herself too!! {sniff sniff} one proud mama!! LOL

Check out my birthday card to my twinnies!!

Listen, my brain may be mush from concentrating so hard on my dissertation, but I know a beautiful card when I see one (and case one, LOL). This beauty is a CASE from the famous Beate Johns...I just love the colors and everything...And my girlfriends who stamp HAVE to have fabulous cards...hence, the CASE!!! (rememeber, Copy And Share Everything)