A Couple of New Cards

Tomorrow, Kaboodle Doodles Challenge 104 goes live and I thought I'd get a jump on the challenge and post my card tonight.  I usually don't do it until Monday and then the reveal has already started by the time I get it posted.  This week's sponsor is Little Miss Muffet Stamps amd I chose "Peppermint as Red Riding Hood" - only I made her "pink Riding Hood".    This week's sponsor is giving away a $10 gift certificate and the theme of the challenge is "All About Girls".  Here's my card:

The patterned paper and embellishments are My Minds' Eye - "Love Me".  Be sure to check the Kaboodle Doodle blog tomorrow and see what the other Designers created for this challenge.

I also created this Crafter's Companion Humphrey card and I'm entering it in the "Anything Goes" challenge this week at Crafters' Companion Challenge Blog.  I just love the Humphrey stamps and want to thank Stacy (again) for sending me this cute guy in my Secret Santa Package!!

I put Humphrey in blue denim and had fun coloring in his little elephant body!  The sentiment is also a Crafters' Companion stamp and was part of the set.  I inked the edges and distressed them.  Both Humphrey and the sentiment are attached with pop dots.  I added green ribbon to the large button and placed it in the corner - the perfect finishing touch!  I reached into my "scrap box" for these patterned papers, so I don't know the manufacturer.  They just matched the colors I used for Humphrey, so I used them.  LOL  Here's my card:

You have almost two whole days to enter the Sketches4All Sketch Layout Contest!  The prizes and a 6 x 6 paper pack of Echo Park, Happy Days and Thickers!!  I have Happy Days, in digital, and it ROCKS!!!  You don't want to miss this contest!!

That's all for tonight, except to say that I saw Cameron and I'm happy to report that he's coping with his injury, but has to wear an immobilizer for several weeks!  He's a tough cookie though and he'll be just fine.  It will be hard for him to keep from moving his arm though, because he's so active. 

Day 28 and Other News

Our kids were out of school yesterday for the teachers to work on grades (I think).  Anyway, Jordan's birthday was yesterday so my SIL took him, Cameron and Ava all up to Boyne Mountain for two days of snowboarding.  They were having a great time and Jordan probably couldn't have had a better 13th birthday then.....................Cameron got knocked down on one of the slopes (by a skier) and ended up in the hospital! He has a broken shoulder, poor kid!!  He toughed it out all day so that Jordan could get his second day of snowboarding in - wasn't that nice?  I talked to him earlier and told him how nice I thought that was and he admitted that he had slept a good part of the day.  They gave him some good pain meds - that'll do it.  They got back tonight and I can't wait to give him a "gentle hug" tomorrow when we celebrate Jordan's birthday.

The two little ones were over here last night so my daughter could get out with some of her friends.  As usual, they wanted "to do art".  That's their favorite thing to do when they come over here.  I took this adorable picture of Alyssa just working away.  She was creating a masterpiece - my grandchildren are SO talented!!  (I'm NOT prejudiced!!)  Lyss is just a LITTLE camera-shy, so I always get better pictures of her if I kind of sneak up on her.

Braden worked on a project, too.  He made a "Love Bug".  He loves to pose for me, so here's a picture I took of him holding his Love Bug.  He's so funny - he wanted to make sure that it's arms were sticking straight out.  LOL  See, I TOLD you they were talented!!

I'm getting caught up on my projects ever so slowly.  My mojo has been pretty slippery all week and I just started to find it a little today.  I finished two cards - woohoo!  I made my Design Team card for Kaboodle Doodles Challenge 104, which will go live on Monday.  I REALLY like the way it came out - I used a digital image by next week's sponsor, Little MissMuffet Stamps.  Check back on Monday to see my card.

I also finished my card for the Crafters' Companion  "Anything Goes" Challenge, which ends January 31st.  You have to use a Crafters' Companion stamp, but my friend, Stacy, sent me one of their "Humphrey" stamps in my Secret Santa package and I had so much fun using it today!  What a cute stamp!!  I haven't gotten my card photographed yet, but will get that done tomorrow.

You still have three more days to enter the Sketches4All Sketch Layout Contest!  Just go here and click on "Special Events".  You'll be eligible to win a 6 x 6 paper pack of Echo Park, Happy Days and some Thickers.

Finally, here's my Day 28 photograph for the 365 Project.  This is what my work table looks like after making two cards + I had to color both of them in.  The coloring-in part takes me the longest!  Talk about "creative clutter" - that's exactly what I named his picture.  It's also the sign of a "creative mind", isn't it?  I couldn't leave it alone, so I "inverted" the image.  I love it!

I couldn't resist making this my picture of the day!!  LOVE the little skeleton!  That's my gum eraser and it's so cute I have to hide it from the kids!!

Day 26, 27 and S4All Deadline

Here's my Day 26 Photograph.  It's a close-up of a Prima flower.

Here's my photograph from today (Day 27).  Braden was making an art project and I took a picture of his hands.

I've been having so much fun with this photograph of the day I just hope I can keep it up.

You still have time to enter the Sketch Layout Contest at Sketches4All!  Just click on "Special Events" in the forum.  The prizes are a 6 x 6 paper pack of Echo Park, Happy Days and Thickers!!  Don't miss this!!

Not much news here tonight, but I have lots of deadlines breathing down my neck, so I'll have some new projects on here in the next few days.

My Word of The Year & Day 25 Photo

I've never chosen a "word for the year" and this word chose me!  ACCEPTANCE is the word that came to me after a difficult couple of years.  Here's the definition of acceptance, according to Wikipedia:

"Acceptance is a person's assent to the reality of a situation, recognizing a process or condition (often a negative or uncomfortable situation) without attempting to change it, protest, or exit. The concept is close in meaning to 'acquiescence', derived from the Latin 'acquiēscere' (to find rest in).^[1]
Acceptance as a concept appears in Eastern religious concepts such as Buddhist mindfulness, and in human psychology. Religions and psychological treatments often suggest the path of acceptance when a situation is both disliked and unchangeable, or when change may be possible only at great cost or risk. Acceptance may imply only a lack of outward, behavioral attempts at possible change, but the word is also used more specifically for a felt or hypothesized cognitive or emotional state.
Anger is an emotion resulting from refusal to accept things as they are. Love, considered to be the opposite of anger, is said to be unconditional acceptance."

Pretty deep, huh?  I just like the word because I have NOT been accepting situations that have been trying to control my life very well.  I LOVE to read the definitions of words though.  They always mean more to me after I know what they TRULY mean.  I used to run to my dictionary, now I run to an online dictionary.  LOL  That's the way of the world, isn't it?

I just started hanging out at The Flying Unicorn and what a great site!  They have a thread where they are actually creating layouts using their word of the year.  I decided to create a digital layout using my word, ACCEPTANCE.  I thought about it for awhile and couldn't think of a picture that would convey the word.  I decided something about nature or "serenity" would be a good photograph.  Then, a light bulb went off in my head!  I'd use the photograph that I took the evening that Asher was born, July 25, 2011 - just six months ago.  It had been such a wonderful and exciting day - welcoming my sixth grandchild into the world and the sunset just seemed to be speaking to me as I drove home that evening.  I stopped the car and got my camera out and took the photographs.  It was as if the Heavens were welcoming Asher into the world, too!

Here's the layout I created using one of those photographs.

I'm also participating in the 365 Project and here's my Day 25 photograph, which I took last night.  Haven't gotten today's picture taken yet.  Obviously, this is a picture of colored pencils, but I LOVE how it turned out!

I think this is pretty darned cute - even the pencil with the broken lead.  Isn't that "life"?

365 Project, S4All & Kaboodle Doodles

I haven't been doing much scrapping and I MUST get busy - I have deadlines that are fast approaching!!  I was SO tired on Monday, felt a little better yesterday, today - I feel pretty darned good!!  I have to work on the Scrapbook Calls and I might be in the mood to work on some of my DT projects tonight!!  It's looking pretty good!

I had to vacate my scraproom - for Asher - which I gladly did.  We took down one of my work tables and that left us plenty of room for Ash's Pack n Play.  I wanted him to have his own space this time, since he's now 6 months old and needs a quiet spot all his own.  It worked out perfectly and I even moved my laptop out to the dining room table.  The only time I had to bring it back in here was when I had to print out Steph's boarding pass.  (Yes, I KNOW I should be to print remotely.........LOL).

I DID keep up my 365 Project, however, sometimes just using my phone, but it's been fun.  I've taken mostly pictures of Asher since he was here.  I'm sad now that Steph and Ash are gone, but look forward to talking everyday on the phone.  We MUST get Skype going now!!

Here's my Day 24 photograph.  It's a highly edited picture of some of my jars of ribbon and a ball of twine.

I'm really digging manipulating these photographs and want to use some of them as wall art!

Don't forget about the Sketches4All Layout Contest that's going on until January 31st!

CONGRATULATIONS to Dionne Marie Smith who is our Sketches4All February Guest Designer!!

Kaboodle Doodles Challenge #103 is posted!  Our sponsor for this week's challenge is A Day for Daisies and they will give the winner a $12 gift certificate to the A Day for Daisies store.  The theme for this week's challenge is "Thank You" (for all those great holiday gifts).  Here's the card that I created for this week's challenge.

Go on over to the Kaboodle Doodles Blog and check out what the rest of the Design Team created.

Have a great day!!

365 Project

I've missed a couple of days of posting my 365 Project photos.  I was so busy yesterday, that the only pictures I took were of some of my supplies for an online "swap".  I absolutely LOVE how this photograph of three of my 7Gypsies stamps turned out (with a "little" bit of editing).   Here's my Day 23 Photo:

Here's my photograph for January 22nd (Day 22).  I caught Ava gazing lovingly at Asher and just love how beautifully this photograph turned out!!

Here's my photograph for Day 21.  What's any cuter than kids and dogs???

Okay ~ time for some "business".  The Crafters Companion January Challenge "Anything Goes" is going on and they're giving away some great prizes!!  You have until the 31st of January to enter!!

The Sketch Layout Contest  is still going on at Sketches4All!  You have until January 31st to enter!!

Have a great day!!

Kaboodle Doodles Challenge 103 & S4All Calls

Kaboodle Doodles Challenge #103 has been posted!  This week's challenge is sponsored by A Day For Daisies and the theme for this week's challenge is "Thank You (for all those holiday gifts".  The winner will receive a $12 voucher at A Day For Daisies store!!

I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these images!!!  Here is the card I created for this week's challenge:

The image I chose is called "Holiday Mail" and the moment I saw it, I knew it would be PERFECT for a holiday thank you card.  I colored in the image with EK Success colored pencils and the patterned paper is Pink Paislee.   I printed out the sentiments and used pop dots underneath them.

Be sure to check out what the rest of the Kaboodle Doodles Design Team created for this challenge.

The February Guest Designer Search at Sketches4All ends today, so hurry and get those entries in!  Here is all the information.

The Sketches 4All Sketch Layout Contest doesn't end until January 31st so you still have plenty of time to enter!!  The winner will receive a 6 x 6 paper pack from Echo Park and some Thickers!!  Here is all of the information.

Sketches4All GDT Call and Layout Challenge

You only have 2 days to submit your work to Sketches4All for the February Guest Designer Call!  January 23rd is the deadline and you can read all the details here.  We'd LOVE to have you designing with us for the month of February!! 

Our Sketch Layout Contest is going on until January 31st and you can read the details here, as well as see the Design Team inspiration.  We had a beautiful sketch to work with!

I'm still working on my 365 Project and here is my photograph for today (Day 20).

I took this picture for Day 19 (yesterday).

Kaboodle Doodles Challenge 102 & S4All Updates



Kaboodle Doodles Challenge 102 is Snowm Snowmen and Snowflake Theme.  We're giving away a $10 voucher for Di's Digi Downloads.  Here's the card I created for this challenge:

I found this cute snowman, free, on the internet.  LOVE that!  I put a lot of "snow" on him and lots of glitter.  The snowflakes are punched out and also "snowed and glittered".  I colored in his nose, arms, scarf and hat and then put a rhinestone in the center of each snowflake.  I think he's quite jaunty.

Sketches4All is having a Sketch Layout Contest and the winner will receive a 6 x 6 paper pad from Echo Park and a pack of Thickers!  The contest ends January 31st.

Sketches4All is also having a Guest Design Team Call!!  Come join us and get to work with the rest of the Design Team for the month of February!  This contest ends January 23rd!

Kaboodle Doodles Challenge 101 & S4All Calls!

Kaboodle Doodles Challenge 101 has been posted.  This week's challenge is sponsored by Meljen's Designs and the theme is Firewords/Celebrations.  You can enter a project that has fireworks on it, and/or is about celebrations.

An anniversary is a celebration, so here's a Happy Anniversary card that I made.

I wanted to create something for the "fireworks" category, so I put together this digital layout.  The picture is of Ava, back in 2004.  We were attending a Fourth of July parade.

I created this layout using PS9 and Picnik Photo Editing.  Be sure to check the Kaboodle Doodles blog to take a look at the projects the rest of the Design Team created.

Sketches4All has a February Guest Designer Contest going on until January 23rd!!  You still have lots of time to enter and work with the Design Team!!

We're also having a Sketch Layout Challenge going on through January 31st!  The winner will receive a 6 x 6 paper pad from Echo Park plus a package of Thickers!  So, come on over to S4All and join in on the fun!  We always have lots of monthly challenges going on!!