Rodeo

For this layout, I used Creative Scrappers Sketch #126 which you can find here.  What a wonderful inspiration this site is!!!  I've had these papers in my stash for a while so I can't even tell you what they are but I love doing western themed pages!  I made another of the "pleated flowers" and then I cut some stars out of some jeans one of the boys had outgrown.  That "saddle up" stamp is from a Unity stamp set.  These pictures are from back in 2001 while we were stationed in Germany and we went to this rodeo on one of the military bases there.  It was so much fun!

Life Is Good

I made this layout for a Scraplift Challenge over at Crop Chocolate.  I used the Life is Good paper pack from Echo Park and I have to say I've purchased several of the Echo Park kits over at Crop Chocolate and I have loved everyone of them.  They coordinate together so well and I could sit for hours trying to find papers to go together so I love that they have done this for me!

CROP CHOCOLATE CROP!!!

Crop Chocolate is having an online crop this weekend!  You can check out the challenges here!  There are lots of awesome challenges going on and AMAZING prizes to be won!  I've not seen the entire list of prizes but I know at least some are Crop Chocolate credits!!!!  Be sure to check out the Sweet Talk also for lots of fun mini games!!!

Prayers Please

I'm so sorry I haven't posted anything for a while.  I have company here and they are staying in my "craft room" so I haven't really done anything for the last couple of weeks.  I did want to stop in and ask all of you sweet followers to say a prayer for my Dad.  You may have seen me post at one time or another about the fact that he is battling lung cancer.  He just finished a round of radiation and is continuing with chemo but he has been feeling really rotten lately and I'm really worried about him.  For those of you that are separated from family and friends by many many miles (in my case a big ocean, too) you know how hard it is to be so far away especially when something like this is happening.  I thank all of you for stopping by and I would truly appreciate your prayers for my Dad.

Fun in the Sun LO!

Here is another LO made with the same kit as the one below.  On this one I used one of the huge "glitter stickers" I called them in my last post but when I opened it they are really like overlays.  These are absolutely beautiful!  The photo doesn't do them justice at all but the colors are gorgeous! Here is a close up of it...

 Hope you like it!  That beautiful day at the beach stamp is from Catslife Press.  Isn't if fun?  They have all kinds of these "seal stamps".  I think they are a wonderful way to add some journaling info!

Get Picky Sketch #1

I was blog hopping the other day and ran across this great new sketch blog called Get Picky and I couldn't wait to try out their first sketch.  Here is what I came up with using the Rusted Sun kit from Fancy Pants which I picked up for a steal at Crop Chocolate.  I used my Cricut Life's A Beach cartridge to cut out the surfboard and the large circle in the background.  That little bit of green cardstock on the surfboard and the flower are all I used that did not come from this kit.  I couldn't believe it when I opened this kit as it came with overlays, beautiful rubons, thick stickers, alphabet stickers, a huge sheet of glitter stickers, lots of beautiful doublesided patterned paper that I really had a hard time deciding which side to use.  I'm going to get tons of projects done just from this one kit!  I made my flower by simply braiding some yarn and then adhering it to a cardstock circle just winding the braid into a circle and adhering it with fabric glue as I went.  I then added a Brad Buddie in the middle.  I wish I could take credit for coming up with that but alas I can't and I cannot remember for the life of me where I saw it done.   I'm sure I probably have it saved somewhere and if I find it I'll post it for you but it was very simple to do.  I love the look especially for a boy's page where you don't want a girlie flower!  Here is a closer view:

Creative Scrappers Sketch #125

I used the Creative Scrappers Sketch #125 for this layout.  What a talented bunch of designers they have over there!  I get so inspired everytime I visit their blog!  I used some DCWV papers for this one that have been in my stash for a while.  I used the SU medallion stamp to add some interest in two of the corners of this cool distressed paper.  I added some rubons for my title and some flowers and buttons out of my stash....some randon bling and I was done with this fun layout.  My sweetie pie looking all cute in her pigtails!!!

Halloween 1999

Here is another layout I made using the Happy Halloween kit by Echo Park.  I'm just loving these papers!!!  All the papers except the cardstock are from this kit as well as the haunted house and the 1999.  The rubons, decorative pin and the kit all came from Crop Chocolate.  If you aren't familiar with this site, be sure to read my posts below for more info and check it out.  You'll be glad you did.  They've been posting some beautiful Christmas kits already!  I'm so proud of myself on this layout as I didn't follow a sketch but it came together pretty quickly as I knew the papers I wanted to use and they are all from the same kit so they color coordinated already!  I used my cute Halloween seal stamp from Catslife Press again on this layout.  I love round stamps!!! 

Practical Scrappers Sketch Challenge!

I just LOVE a sketch challenge.  It's such a great start as the hard work is done already.  Anywho....I am using the awesome sketch from last Friday's sketch challenge over at Practical Scrappers. I couldn't wait to play with my new Happy Halloween papers by Echo Park which I picked up from Crop Chocolate.   If you haven't checked out Crop Chocolate it is a great "daily deal" site but it has so many awesome deals everyday so you want to check often.  I can't wait to get the new Echo Park Christmas pack!!!  It's in my shopping cart now....you can actually save the things you want and keep them in your cart until you are ready to check out which saves you bundles on shipping...plus they have FREE shipping for all orders over $60.  All the patterned papers are from that Halloween kit except for the orange on the lion and it is from Echo Park's A Walk in the Park.  I'm so loving these Echo Park kits and they are just full of wonderful papers.  I've still got oodles of both kits left and can make many many many more projects with them.  I also used the Making Memories Spook Alley Shimmer Rub-Ons which I also picked up from Crop Chocolate.  I played with my Glimmer mists on this layout and I've learned that I have a pretty heavy hand (he! he!).....got to practice a little on that!  I used some more of my wrinkle ribbon that I made using the Glimmer Mists (maybe I should stick to doing that with my mists).   I had one Catslife Press stamp that I love so I went looking for more and found I can order direct from the company so I did.  They came so super fast and I used one of them (Halloween Seal) on this layout and you can find it here.  I absolutely LOVE their seal stamps!  As I was looking for the link so you can see where to purchase the stamp I used on this layout I saw they just released some brand new ones!!!  I foresee another order for me!!!  My hubby doesn't have to do any Christmas shopping this year!  Oh and by the way, that cute little lion is from the Create A Critter Cricut cartridge....love how this cartridge layers!

Creative Scrappers Sketch #122

I decided to join in the sketch challenge over at Creative Scrappers this week and this is what I came up with.  I used papers from a couple of kits that I purchased recently at Crop Chocolate, the A Walk in the Park and Happy Halloween kits by Echo Park.    If you haven't heard of Crop Chocolate before you really should go check it out....and remember they are our sponsor this week at SMC so you could win a $25 credit to their site.  You can read more about Crop Chocolate and our challenge this week in my post below.

Sew Many Cards Christmas Challenge

This week's challenge at Sew Many Cards is to make a Christmas themed project.  I chose to use this ADORABLE polar bear....you can purchase this cutie here.  This patterned paper is some left over I had from last year but I'm pretty certain it is by Imaginisce.  I printed my image rather large because I wanted to have plenty of room to color!  If you look real closely at his Santa hat you can see that I used some fun flock on it so it has lots of texture.  I also added some glaze on the berries but it doesn't show up in the picture very well.   Hope you like it....here are the copics I used

I am so excited about this week's sponsor, Crop Chocolate.  Jon & McCall have graciously donated a $25 credit to their store for this week's challenge winner.  I shop over there all the time.  It is a "daily deal" site but I put that in quotations because they have numerous deals throughout the day so you want to check their store often as you don't want to miss out!  Plus.....you can put your items in a shopping cart so that you can save up and check out all at once hence saving on shipping.  If you look back through my posts you will see some of the goodies I have purchased over there and there are lots more to come as I just got in a really cute Echo Park Halloween package!  Here is a little more info about Crop Chocolate:

CropChocolate.com – Sweet Deals for the Scrapbooking Addict!

At CropChocolate.com™, we sell all-things scrapbook. But here's the catch, we only sell one item at a time – at a delicious price. Every day several items will be posted – so act fast – a limited quantity will be sold at deeply discounted prices. No time to let it temper.

Chocolate à la Carte or “la Carte” is a 45 day shopping cart, once an item is added you have 45 total days until it expires out of your la carte. Just add all your goodies in “la Carte” and pay shipping only once! Free shipping with cartes over $60 in the USA, over $100 in Canada, and over $300 international.
CropChocolate.com was founded by a marketing group with immeasurable experience in one-deal-at-a-time online marketing. No matter what you use – a cup, a gallon, a vat or a tank – you can't contain their experience of successfully taking sites in targeted industries from nuts to soup... in this case molten chocolate. CropChocolate.com is the first scrapbook site to migrate from a one-deal-a-day to a one-deal-at-a-time and they did it in less than 60 days.

We are continually looking for sugary brands and delicious deals where everybody wins – the manufacturer, the consumer and CropChocolate.com. Please contact us at sales@cropchocolate.com if you want to participate in the CropChocolate.com sweetness.

Sweet Shopping!

Can't wait to see what you make this week!!!

Sew Many Challenges - Embossing Challenge!

This week's challenge over at SMC is a technique one.  We are asking that you use embossing (dry and/or wet) on your project.  I chose to work with this fall image which you can purchase here.  This image was part of a special fall package last season so if you dont' see it right off just email Angela and she will get it for you.   She is updating some of the images on the site.  I LOVE texture so....I used one of my Tim Holtz embossing folders for the green base and I also did a little distressing (tearing) on the red borders but it isn't showing up very well in the picture.   I also used distress ink on the image panel (love doing that).  I also used some wet embossing on my sentiment.  The patterned papers are from the Imaginisce Apple Cider line (love those too).  This was a very fun card to make!!!  Here are the copics I used:

We are so excited to have Stich from Stitchy Stamps as our sponsor again this week!  She has generously donated 3 stitchy stamps from her store to this week's winner!  She was so very sweet to let me work with this sweet image and I have to say I love how this card turned out!  She is called Can I GO Too and you can purchase her here. 

Isn't she just the cutest?!!  I used some of last year's Basic Grey Halloween papers and some sheer black ribbon with kraft and black cardstock to make this card.  The picture doesn't really show the sparkle but I did go over the dress and hat with a Stardust pen and it is really cute IRL.  I did color my image with copics as usual, however, I either failed to take a picture or misplaced the file.  Can't wait to see what you make this week!!!

Sew Many Challenges Halloween Theme

Isn't Miki cute all dressed up as a pumpkin?  This week's challenge over at Sew Many Challenges is to make a Halloween themed project.  I chose this cute little pumpkin and you can purchase him here.  I think he is just ADORABLE!!!  I followed this week's sketch over at Mojo Monday.  The patterned papers I used are from the Jen Yanok Halloween Mat pad by K & Company.  The cute little tag is from an older SU set.  Here are the copics I used:

We are super excited to have Claire Phillips from Hope Jacare Doodles as our sponsor this week.  She has graciously donated her Cockatoo Rubber Stamp to this week's winner (you can see a picture of it on the SMC blog).  She has such a beautiful whimsical style....love it!  I got to play with this image called Cupcake Stand.  You can purchase it here.  

I made this card using some patterned papers from my DCWV Sweet Stack.  Made me hungry just working with it!  Here are the copics I used on this treat.

I hope to see you over at the SMC blog with some spooky projects!!!

Sew Many Challenges!!

This week's challenge at Sew Many Challenges is to make a project in honor of Grandparent's Day.  It can be a love theme or a thank you theme.  I chose to work with Owen and Duncan.  That little boy sure is cute but Duncan just steals my heart....isn't he cute?!!!  You can purchase them here.  I used some patterned papers from Garden Variety by Cosmo Cricket.  I printed the sentiment on my computer and just cut it out as a banner and added some baker's twine.  Of course, I had to had some ribbon from my stash as I seem to think nothing is complete until it has some ribbon (he! he!).  Here are the copics I used:

                                  

We are thrilled to have Kayla Thomas from Purple Panda Designs as our sponsor this week.  Kayla has graciously donated 4 of  the winner's choice of her beautiful images to this week's challenge winner.   Here is a little bit about Kayla:

Hi! I'm Kayla from Purple Panda Designs and I'm 16 yrs. old. I love to draw and I love Panda's. I love to color them purple, which is where my name came from. I love to draw animals mostly. My stamps are hand drawn from my own ideas. Please be sure to visit my blog for updates and news about Purple Panda Designs. Would love to have you as a follower. I hope you enjoy my stamps.

You can read more from Kayla on her blog here.  Can you believe she is only 16? I don't have that kind of talent now and I'm not going to say how many more years I've been on this earth than she has.... I hope you will join in the fun this week!  Can't wait to see what you create!